Diamond Dynasty Marketplace Trends: The Machado Contract
There are a myriad of macro-economic baseball factors that can move the demand for high-profile players in MLB The Show’s Diamond Dynasty Marketplace. Cross-referencing daily fantasy player auction prices with the Diamond Dynasty Marketplace prices is constructive in determining which player-associated “Buy Now” and “Sell Now” price-points have not corrected within the MLB The Show Marketplace. We can do that this upcoming season to take advantage.
But how do we analyze off-season market activity?
The Manny Machado signing was a big domino to fall for MLB free agency. The San Diego Padres signed the third-baseman to 10-years, $300 million dollars with a signing bonus of $20 million dollars. The contract features an opt-out after 2023, and a six-team no-trade clause.
This deal is great for the game of baseball, a small-market team in the San Diego Padres, and for the MLB The Show Diamond Dynasty Marketplace. The deal has activated both the free-agency market, and the in-game Diamond Dynasty Marketplace.
As a direct result of the signing, there was heavy Diamond Dynasty Marketplace movement in MLB The Show 18. As of Feb. 22nd, 11 am central, the Buy Now price for a Diamond Machado card, 88 overall, sits at $26,995 Stubbs. The Sell-Now price sits at 18,702 Stubbs.
Looking at the charts for the season, the price ask of this card peaked at 61,500 Stubbs. The highest transaction this week was for 51,777 Stubbs on February 21st.
Since 2015, Machado has hit over 33 home runs and has had over 690 appearances in each of these seasons. This translates into a power rating of 82, and a durability rating of 95. His batting average over this span has sat at .282, good for a hit-tool contact rating of 80 in the Diamond Dynasty Marketplace. Lastly, his arm strength and fielding ability are elite, sitting at 90+.
Looking at Machado’s age, and skill ratings, it’s clear why he can command such a contract in both the MLB and in the Diamond Dynasty Marketplace. His power, consistency, hit tool and defensive ratings all translate into a max-deal player.
The demand spike in Machado’s Diamond Dynasty Diamond Marketplace price directly correlated to his $300 million dollar deal this week. The conflation of Machado’s $300M signing, the news coverage, his in-game skill ratings, and his potential have contributed to his Stubb contract price. Gamers want to use him on their team this week.
Is it possible that his $300M price tag for the San Diego Padres alone, shifted his MLB The Show Marketplace price? While it is almost impossible to isolate this factor and attribute it to his price movement this week in The Show, it certainly is a factor.
Our best play is to compare the upcoming Bryce Harper signing, evaluate the real contract details, and review his Diamond level Diamond Dynasty Card market action. This card sits at an 87 overall rating; very comparable to the Machado card at 88 overall. In theory, now is the time to buy the Harper card before the price spike comes when his new deal is announced.
In closing, analyzing the real free-agent marketplace trends will allow gamers to predict market demand in Diamond Dynasty. This season, as with last, major star free-agents did not sign deals until Spring Training began. In the case of Machado, purchasing a free agent player card when the market was quiet, and before the late signing window in February, will have worked to your benefit.
Taking advantage of trending news, player-signings, and player movement can help you close out this off-season’s Diamond Dynasty Marketplace trading session and end on a positive note.
