The San Diego Padres have reportedly reached a record 10-year Major League Baseball deal worth $US300 million ($A422 million) with infielder Manny Machado.
The agreement would be the most lucrative free-agent contract in the history of American sports, according to MLB.com.
Padres boss Ron Fowler cautioned in an interview with The Athletic on Tuesday that the monster deal was not done.
"We do not have a deal. We are continuing discussions," he said.
But the US-based sports website's Ken Rosenthal characterised Fowler's comments as semantics, reporting that the financial terms were in place and the two sides were finalising the language.
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
Machado also needs to pass a physical.
Two of the runners-up for Machado, the Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies, were informed of his decision on Tuesday afternoon.
The contract reportedly includes an opt-out after the fifth season.
Machado, 26, batted .297 with 37 home runs and 107 RBIs last season with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner was one of the top unsigned superstars on the market.
The Padres have posted eight straight losing seasons and haven't been to the playoffs since 2006.
