Tatis gives the Padres a cornerstone for the long haul. His deal – negotiated by Machado’s agency MVP Sports – includes a no-trade clause, but no opt-outs. It spans four years of club control and then adds just over $ 300 million for its first decade of free agent eligibility. Tatis turns 35 when the deal ends.
“He’s certainly his own person, but he reminds me a lot of my time with Adrian Beltre when he’s on the field,” said Tingler, a former Texas Rangers coach. “Adrian enjoyed the game, he enjoyed his teammates and although he was serious and competitive, he had the ability to smile, laugh, play around, have fun and then lock it up when it was time to compete.”
Beltre won a Silver Slugger Award at the age of 35 and amassed over 3,000 hits and five gold gloves on the third base. All-round players on this side of the infield often age well – George Brett, Derek Jeter, Chipper Jones, Barry Larkin, Cal Ripken, Alex Rodriguez, Mike Schmidt and Alan Trammell were all-stars at 24 and still strong at 35.
Of course, some players in this class were almost done by the age of 35, such as Nomar Garciaparra, Hanley Ramirez, Troy Tulowitzki, and David Wright. There is significant risk for the padres on this deal, but potentially greater risk if they fail. Baseball is better when teams try.
And if the padres ever decide to lose Tatis and his recording deal, history shows where to turn. The Dodgers gave Kevin Brown Baseball the first $ 100 million contract in 1998, the Texas Rangers gave Rodriguez Baseball the first $ 200 million contract in 2000, and the Miami Marlins gave Giancarlo Stanton Baseball the first $ 300 million Dollar contract in 2014. Before any of these deals were closed, the player was being traded to the Yankees.
