Padres News: Manny Machado Sets the Stage for Juan Soto to Stay in San Diego

Machado knows that while money is amazing, he still wants some World Series Rings in his collection.

Even though Padres star Manny Machado put together his best season in 2022 and earned himself an 11-year extension, he has just entered his 30's and is only getting older. San Diego's front office is well-aware that they must take advantage of the prime years of his career and compete for titles right now.

Through some calculated, the Friars have been able to put together a roster for this upcoming season that can do just that. With the additions of multiple MVP-level names, Petco Park will be a hot location this season. San Diego has gone all in on their franchise, committing to over $1 billion in contracts these past few years.

However, the Friars do have one last player expecting some big bucks and that is star outfielder Juan Soto. The front office parted ways with a mix of young talent in order to acquire him and his future with the team likely depends on how he performs in 2023 and 2024.

In an exclusive interview provided by The San Diego Union-Tribune, Machado highlighted how he and the team's executives agreed on a deal that would allow other players to get their money as well over the next couple of years.

“Hopefully Soto Next”

Manny Machado on all of the big contracts the #Padres are dishing out. pic.twitter.com/ZJ0sAZuzzH

— Borna Nazari (@thehogwatch) February 28, 2023

"Hopefully Soto next," said Machado. "I’m gonna do whatever it is for this team, do whatever it is that they can go out there and continue to put this great team out there and keep building. I think that’s the best thing about this is we’re going to continue to do this for a long time, and we’re not going to stop.”

The star third baseman continues to display his maturity and leadership before this season even officially kicks off. First, Machado did not grow impatient amid negations at the start of Spring Training and now it is revealed that he still kept his teammates in mind while getting paid. If the Padres are able to retain Soto along with all the other new additions, the Friars will have contender for the foreseeable future.