The San Diego Padres have elevated themselves into big spender territory, and they’ll have to continue to spend big if they want to retain one of their best players. One reporter thinks it’s quite possible they will do so.
The Padres signed Manny Machado to a 10-year, $300 million deal in 2019. He has performed magnificently since signing his deal and has developed into a true franchise cornerstone with two top-three MVP finishes. The problem is Machado has the option to terminate his contract after the 2023 season, which he would be wise to do in order to maximize his earnings.
Machado is making $30 million this season (his fifth year of the deal) and scheduled to earn $150 million over the final five years of his contract. Machado turns 30 this summer. Based on the huge contracts teams were handing out to infielders over the offseason, he would stand to make much more in free agency. He and the Padres know this and might want to address matters.
In a column published on Wednesday, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal predicted that the Padres and Machado will reach an agreement on a "monster extension" before the season. The Padres don’t want to let him go and will likely work hard to ensure they keep him.
"To keep Machado, the Padres will need to beat the remaining six years and $180 million on his contract — beat it in length, and beat it in average annual value," Rosenthal wrote. "Another 10-year deal, this time for more than $300 million, would not appear out of the question. Machado just watched the Padres offer Trea Turner $342 million and ponder an even larger deal for Aaron Judge before signing Xander Bogaerts for an unexpected $280 million."
Consider that the Padres are faced with the possibility of losing Juan Soto after 2024, when he can become a free agent. Soto already rejected a monster offer from the Washington Nationals and will likely be looking for top dollar. Machado, on the other hand, already has made big money in his career and is thriving in San Diego. He might be more inclined to make things work with the Padres.
Regardless of whether he reaches an agreement on a contract extension with the Padres before the season or not, we should expect Machado to opt out of his contract after the season. He might even match what Alex Rodriguez did and end up with a pair of 10-year contracts for huge money.
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