Padres owner tabs Machado as ‘top priority’
Same goes for the Padres. Tuesday marked the crew’s first official full-squad exercise, and proprietor Peter Seidler and common supervisor A.J. Preller met with reporters on the Peoria Sports Complex. Both Seidler and Preller divulged little in the way in which of potential negotiations that would preserve Machado in San Diego past this season. But Seidler made this a lot clear:
“I really hesitate to talk about hypothetical situations, whether it’s with a free-agent player or one of our own. I will say: Manny is my top priority.”
A fast abstract of the place issues stand between the Padres and Machado:
1. After the 2023 season, Machado can decide out of the remaining 5 years, $150 million on the 10-year contract he signed in 2019.
2. During the offseason, Machado knowledgeable the Padres he intends to take action, except the 2 sides might come to an settlement on an extension or a restructuring of that contract.
3. It stays unclear whether or not Machado could be open to negotiating in-season, with latest stories, together with one from the San Diego Union-Tribune, noting that Machado had set a deadline for a deal to get achieved earlier than the beginning of camp.
The Padres appear open to in-season talks.
“Manny is always a priority for me and for the organization,” Preller stated. “Manny is a phenomenal player. He’s a huge part of what we do here. We’re just going to respect him in this process. We have a good relationship with his representatives and agents. Again, we’ll always be open and clear in our communication. If he has interest in talking more, we’ll continue to do that.”
Speaking Monday, Machado expressed his dedication to the present season, saying, “Business is business, there’s no arduous emotions.
“I instructed my agent, I instructed the group, I’m about going on the market and taking part in baseball, doing what I can management, which goes on the market and being the perfect participant I can probably be. I’m going to attempt to get this crew to a different Championship [Series] and even additional.”
When Machado signed his preliminary 10-year cope with the Padres in February 2019, it was briefly the richest free-agent contract in North American skilled sports activities historical past. He has posted a slash line of .280/.352/.504 and hit 108 house runs whereas accumulating 17.6 bWAR in his 4 seasons with San Diego. Machado has tallied a pair of top-three NL MVP finishes, together with a second-place end throughout a exceptional 2022 marketing campaign by which he helped carry the Padres to their first NLCS berth since 1998.
“Obviously, four years ago, right around this time, that was a huge day for the city of San Diego and for the organization,” Preller stated. “Manny has lived up to everything, when we signed him, that we could’ve hoped for.”
In addition to Machado’s potential free company, one other generational famous person, Juan Soto, is slated to grow to be a free agent after the 2024 marketing campaign, forward of his age-26 season. Preller famous a balancing act.
“It’s something we talk about all the time — a short- and long-term plan,” Preller stated. “It’s not limitless sources. It’s not an infinite finances. You’ve bought to make selections and decisions.
“The nice part for us is you’re talking about two of the best in the game and how we keep both, hopefully, or how one affects the other. … Those are conversations that will be part of the next 12 months and the next couple years with Juan.”
Indeed, there’s a lot to be sorted out over the following 12-24 months. But the Padres insist they’re rooted within the subsequent eight.
They added Bogaerts, Preller stated, not as a possible long-term alternative for Machado at third base, however somewhat “for him to play with Manny.” The arrival of Bogaerts comes alongside the return of Tatis, giving San Diego maybe probably the most star-studded lineup in baseball.
Machado is on the heart of all of it, the de facto captain in San Diego, on board for the franchise’s turnaround from also-ran to World Series contender. It’s solely pure that Machado’s long-term contract standing would grow to be a central storyline — no less than till he indicators an extension or till he hits free company.
“Ultimately, he’s got the right to potentially opt out at the end of this year,” Preller stated. “We’re prepared for it. We’ve always been looking at it as a possibility. The good part for everybody is he’s played at such a high level that it makes it a realistic question.”
