Possible New York Mets Target Manny Machado to opt out After 2023 Season

Possible Mets target Manny Machado plans to opt out of his contract after the 2023 season.

Manny Machado revealed that he is planning to opt out of his deal with the San Diego Padres after the 2023 season.

While Machado says he is open to signing an extension with the Padres, he added "there's a lot of money out there" referring to the contracts signed by star players this offseason.

"As a player about to opt out, it's pretty good to see," Machado said.

A.J. Preller, the Padres president of baseball operations, told Buster Olney of ESPN that he intends to talk with Machado's camp during the spring about an extension.

But should this extension not come to fruition, Machado would hit free agency and the 30-year-old would fit with the Mets at third base. This would push top prospect Brett Baty to left field.

If Machado signs an extension with the Padres, the Mets would lose out on a significant free agent option.

Beyond Machado, the Mets are likely to pursue superstar Shohei Ohtani next winter if he becomes a free agent.

Earlier this week, Ohtani said "as of now I'm an Angel and that's all I want to focus on," in response to a question about whether he wanted to return to the Angels.

Ohtani also revealed that he hasn't had deep discussions with the Angels about his future.

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