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What if I told you there was a team, so out of contention, so deep in their rebuild, so lost in their long term plan for dominance that they could land the top two free agents in the game?

Would you believe me?

What if I told you there is a team primed to be solid for years to come? A team that not long ago, released a team calendar with more 9 of the 12 months featuring players no longer on the team?

That’s right. The San Diego Padres could sign both Bryce Harper and Manny Machado for the 10/300 million contracts they want. And after the ink is dry, the Padres still have room for more.

Is Bryce Harper going to play baseball this year? — Big Cat (@BarstoolBigCat) February 11, 2019

The Padres currently projected to have an O pening Day payroll of $115 million, as projected by MLB Trade Rumors, but are currently sitting at $86.7 million as of publication. So let’s say they add $60 million to their payroll, they still wouldn’t be the highest paying team in the NL West. That’s one of the benefits of being in a division with the Dodgers.

And after this year, the Padres will be dropping almost $20 million dollars in dead payroll, freeing up money to pay for two studs.

Sure, it’s a gamble for the Padres, but if they are truly attempting to rebuild for the future, they can fast track their success with both players.

THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is one hell of a lineup.

Has baseball been “Highjacked by Analytics”? Is the “system broken”?

Well…Maybe. And Yes.

What’s led to the Harper/Machado – Club staredown: #MLBNow pic.twitter.com/1jTfPC13MF — Brian Kenny (@MrBrianKenny) February 14, 2019

A lot of pundits and fans have been asking the “Who would sign a player to a ten-year contract?”, and I think that’s a very valid question. However, on the flip side of that question is, “What does a player want in a 10-year deal besides money?”

Perhaps a team that’s close to winning, with a solid foundation built around young, homegrown players? One that plays in a city that’s ready to fully embrace the only major professional sports team to play for them?

That’s the San Diego Padres.

Source confirms Manny Machado met recently with Padres GM A.J. Preller. That said, nothing appears close between the two sides. @sdutKevinAcee first reported the meeting. — Mark Feinsand (@Feinsand) February 14, 2019

The Padres are a young team, with their average age of

26.9 coming in as the third lowest in the league. With Joey Lucchesi, Eric Lauer and Luis Perdomo all still in the early to mid-twenties, the Padres pitching staff alone looks to be solid for years. Add Mackenzie Gore, Chris Paddock, and Adrian Morejon waiting in the wings, that rotation seems immortal.

Will that impact be felt in 2019? Probably not. However, this is a great time to be a rebuilding team in the NL West. With the Diamondbacks starting over, the Giants wasting money, the Dodgers desperately trying to win a World Series, and the Rockies just trying to continue winning, the Padres are in a perfect spot to wait for their prospects to develop.

Fernando Tatis Jr is the newest member of the bat flip Hall of Fame pic.twitter.com/1iwFR0GJpx — Starting 9 (@Starting9) January 11, 2019

With a farm system like that, a long term contract would mean playing with solid, young ballplayers, creating a cohesive team dynamic for years to come. And if you’re Harper or Machado, it means being the centerpiece to a franchise on the rise.

It’s only a matter of time before the fireworks really begin at PetCo Park. And Harper and Machado could be the reason to light them off.