![]() ![]() ![]() And now, in the fourth year of those megadeals, they are among the best players in baseball. They hit free agency together and both signed $300 million contracts. They grew into superstars in the same region, playing for multiple playoff teams each. Machado debuted later in the season for the Orioles and was an instant sensation for their first playoff team since 1997. Harper helped ignite the first-ever Nationals playoff team and won NL Rookie of the Year. They each debuted in the Beltway in 2012. The Philadelphia Phillies signed the veteran slugger to a 13-year, 330 million contract, which prompted many to say he's overpaid and overrated based on the average annual salary he'll be. I told you, these deals are aging really well. Bryce Harper is tearing the cover off the ball at the moment, which has created more of a discussion surrounding his largely disappointing 2019 MLB campaign. Both are still just 29 years old, too.Both are within striking range of the RBI lead.He's third in total bases and runs scored, and he's fourth in slugging. Machado leads the NL in hits, average, on-base percentage, OPS, OPS+, times on base and WAR.Harper either leads the league or is tied for the lead in doubles, home runs, slugging percentage, extra-base hits and total bases.In the cases of Machado and Harper, their deals with the Padres and Phillies, respectively, actually have aged well. You know how in today's Internet world, someone will say "that aged well" and it's usually in sarcastic mockery? Example: "That Chris Davis contract aged well!" (Did you know it actually ran through 2022? With him set to make $23 million this season? But instead he retired and left that money on the table?) Still, this is as fine a time as any to check in to the pair of superstars. It is unfortunate that Harper is dealing with a UCL injury, but he just got a PRP injection in his elbow and will likely be back within the next few days. Let's skip past the team-level stuff for now and concentrate on the two biggest names in the series, as they are forever tied to one another: Manny Machado and Bryce Harper. Both teams entered the season with playoff aspirations and the Padres, to this point, have played like one of the best teams in baseball. The Phillies and Padres are squaring off in Philadelphia this week. ![]()
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