Spring training for the 2019 baseball season is underway in Florida and Arizona, and the first game is set for March 19. But the decks weren’t fully set until recently, with a couple of big-name free agents still looking for a team.

Statistics and analytics were being blamed for top-ranking third baseman Manny Machado and right fielder Bryce Harper not landing deals until late February. As it turned out, Machado signed a 10-year, $300-million deal with the San Diego Padres, a record for a free agent. Machado didn’t fare badly; his latest deal is the third highest for any individual sporting contract, and ranks behind Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million deal with the Miami Marlins in 2014 and boxer Canelo Alvarez’s $365 million arrangement with sports broadcaster DAZN, according to a CNN report.

Source: wharton.upenn.edu