After a season split between the Orioles and Dodgers, Manny Machado shattered the free agent market on this day in beísbol, February 19, 2019 by signing a $10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres. The Dominican native was only 26 years old but already a seven-year veteran when he joined San Diego, which gladly inked the third baseman to the largest contract in MLB history since Alex Rodriguez’s $275 million deal with the Yankees a decade earlier. Machado immediately became the best hitter in the lineup for a team that hadn’t been to the postseason in 12 years and had

The New York Yankees added to their all-star, big-money lineup when they traded for all-world superstar Alex Rodriguez on this day in beísbol, February 16, 2004. “A-Rod” was already a controversial lightning rod as the player everyone loved to hate when the Bombers shipped a good young hitter, Alfonso Soriano, to the Texas Rangers in 2004 in exchange for Rodriguez, who was coming off his first MVP season in 2003. Only 28 but already a ten-year vet, Rodriguez — a two-time Gold Glover and five-time Silver Slugger at shortstop with the Seattle Mariners and the Rangers — shifted over to

The Minnesota Twins opened its vault for pitcher Johan Santana on this day in beísbol, February 14, 2005, as the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner received a sweet Valentine Day's gift: a four-year, $40 million deal. The contract was the largest in the history of the team and essentially bought out the rest of the 26-year-old southpaw’s arbitration-eligible years and first year of free agency. The move paid off immensely for the Twins as the Venezuela native went 50-26 with a 2.99 ERA over the next three seasons, including a second Cy Young in 2006 for his 19-6, 2.77

An aging Orlando Cepeda, 35 and coming off a bad year, signed with the Red Sox to become the team’s primary designated hitter on this day in béisbol, January 18, 1973. The new American League-only DH rule allowed a batter to hit for the pitcher in a move meant to add more offense to games. Cepeda was primed to be history’s first DH during the 1973 home opener at Fenway Park against the Yankees. But the honor went to Bombers designated hitter Ron Blomberg instead. Batting sixth that day, Blomberg came up in the top of the first inning with

The Tigers’ quest to win the World Series after losing the 2011 ALCS was dealt a serious setback when DH Victor Martinez blew out his knee on this day in béisbol, January 17, 2012. Martinez, who tore his ACL, was out for the entire year after tearing his ACL during an off-season training session. He was one of Detroit’s best hitters in 2011, batting .330 and knocking in 103 runs on just 12 homers. The Tigers won only 88 games in 2012 without Martinez in the lineup but won the AL pennant, only to be swept by the Giants in

Carlos Beltran lost his job as Mets manager before he even put on the uniform on this day in béisbol, January 16, 2020. The Hall of Fame candidate was fired by New York after he was the only player named in the MLB investigation into sign stealing by the 2017 Houston Astros. Beltran was technically the third manager to get (garbage) canned. The probe also cost Astros manager A.J. Hinch his job, as well as Red Sox skipper Alex Cora, who was a Houston coach during the scandal that involved Astros personnel using a centerfield camera to steal pitching signs

Juan Marichal, whose lifetime 243 wins was the most among Latino pitchers at the time, was inducted into the Hall of Fame on this day in béisbol, January 12, 1983. Known for his high leg kick and blazing fastball, the San Francisco Giants righty was the first Dominican Republic-born player elected to the Hall. He broke in with the Giants in 1960 at age 22 and quickly became the staff ace. He averaged 18 wins a year over his first 12 seasons and was a 20-game winner six times. Nicknamed “the Dominican Dandy,” Marichal went 243-142 with a 2.89 ERA,

It took Cincinnati Reds RBI machine Tony Perez nine tries to make the Hall of Fame, but the slugging first baseman finally made it on this day in béisbol, January 11, 2000. Perez joined Big Red Machine teammates Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan in Cooperstown, who were both elected in their first year of eligibility. The Camaguey, Cuba native was a dangerous middle-of-the-order force who hit 379 homers and 1,652 RBI over a 23-year career mostly spent in Cincinnati, where he won World Series in 1975 and 1976. Also on this day: In 2010, flame-throwing pitcher Aroldis Chapman of Cuba