Manny Machado Admits Negotiations With Padres Got Ugly But It Was A No-Brainer To Stay

San Diego was where the superstar wanted to settle down all along.

With less than a week to until the 2023 regular season kicks off, the San Diego Padres' grand plan seems to be falling into place. They have decided on an opening day pitcher, stars have returned from the WBC and look in rhythm, and MLB preseason rankings have been on their side.

However, it's easy to forget that a little over a month ago, arguably the most important player on this franchise wasn't even guaranteed to stay in San Diego past this season. When the Friars allowed Manny Machado's "deadline" to pass without agreeing on a contract extension with him that he liked, many fans were assuming the worst and preparing for him to bolt after the year concluded.

Despite Machado's preference to not continue negations during Spring Training so the team could focus, both parties continued to do so and eventually came to terms on an 11-year, $350 million deal that had the city celebrating for weeks. The star third baseman sat down with '97.3 The Fan' and shared some details about what it was like going through that process and how he knew San Diego was the place for him to remain.

Manny Machado is ready for the 2023 season and he knows all of you will be there to help the team through 2023! He joined @tonygwynnjr & @ChrisElloSD to discuss the WBC and how he gets better each and every year. https://t.co/EOcrtgKmd7

— 97.3 The Fan (@973TheFanSD) March 24, 2023

"Obviously, you're making the long-term commitment to staying in the city where you're loved," said Machado. "You can go out there and be yourself and it's very family-orientated. Everybody is very laid-back, no one is really messing around, they respect you. I think it was a no-brainer to stay here, Obviously, things got a little ugly there for a little bit but it's a part of it and we are what we want to be at the end of the day."

Few players have ever put everything on the line for a franchise the way that Machado did for the Padres last season and if that doesn't speak on his commitment to the city, I am not sure what will.

He finished as an MVP finalist for the Friars in a year that saw him boast a slash line of .296/.366/.531 and record 32 home runs. Machado truly became the heart and soul of San Diego's clubhouse and if anything was a no-brainer, it was them paying him what he asked for.