GLENDALE, Ariz. — Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred predicts top free agents will all get deals and the second slow free-agent market won’t have lasting significance.

“In some ways I feel like it’s a little much ado about nothing if in fact those players all sign at the end of the day,” he said Tuesday. “The season’s going to go on. We’re going to have the right players out there playing on the field, and it’s kind of no harm, no foul.”

Manny Machado agreed hours earlier to a $300 million, 10-year deal with San Diego, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal was subject to a successful physical.

Machado’s deal is a record for a free agent and the second-largest in baseball history behind Giancarlo Stanton’s $325 million, 13-year contract.

Bryce Harper, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrel remain on the market just ahead of the start of spring training games this week. Throughout the major leagues, players have criticized teams for not spending to land top available stars and started to push for significant changes in the collective bargaining agreement, which runs through the 2021 season.

“I do think are a little overblown right now,” Manfred said. “I do think it would be helpful if we tried to not sensationalize the back and forth on the individual issues. I think that the dialogue is best conducted in a room between the bargaining parties.”

Management has proposed on-field changes, such as a pitch clock and limits on relief pitchers. Union head Tony Clark and his members would like the designated hitter to expand to the National League and changes to the amateur draft to make rebuilding through the draft less attractive. They have criticized teams for failing to try to win now, and Clark on Monday questioned whether some teams justify the cost of their tickets.

“I would urge Tony and the players to save what they had to say for the bargaining table, where we can hear it directly and we can address it and hopefully reach a positive solution for the industry,” Manfred said. “I don’t think it really helps to subject our fans to all this back and forth.”

He defended the rules of the current labor contract.