Manny Machado (31) signed an 11-year, $350 million extension with the San Diego Padres at the end of last month, and Bryce Harper (31, Philadelphia Phillies) was recalled four years ago.

Machado and Harper, born in 1992, won large free agency contracts side by side in 2019. At the time, the two players struggled with the frozen market atmosphere all winter, but the jackpot came after a long wait. In February, after Machado wore a 10-year, $300 million San Diego uniform, in March, Harper signed a 13-year, $330 million contract with Philadelphia. 

Both succeeded in signing long-term contracts for more than 10 years, but there was one difference. While Harper is tied to Philadelphia for all 13 years, Machado has an opt-out clause that allows him to become a free agent after five years. Machado, who has increased his market value with top-notch performance over the past four years, announced that he would opt out at the end of this season and enter the free agency market. As a result, San Diego rushed to extend the contract, and another large contract was concluded. Machado made a total of $470 million in San Diego alone for 15 years. 

It would be a pity that Harper did not include the opt-out in the terms of the contract, as Machado did four years ago. I thought he would envy Machado’s contract, but Harper didn’t mind. In an interview with local media such as ‘MLB.com’ on the 10th (Korean time), Harper said, “I have no regrets” regarding the opt-out.  예스벳 토토

“I decided to stay with the team for a long time. Machado also extended the contract without using an opt-out,” he said. “The biggest thing for me was to let the fans know that I would be with this team for a long time. (When the time to opt out comes) ‘Where are you going?’ I didn’t want to go through the same confusion. I wanted the club and the fans to know that. No matter what happens, I intend to stay here for a long time.”