Padres Rumors: Manny Machado Still Open To Contract Extension Despite Deadline Passing

Padres slugger says San Diego knows how much they mean to him

The San Diego Padres have reloaded and are set to take the NL West crown from their rivals up north. The Padres are genuine contenders in the league thanks to their now four-headed monsters: Juan Soto, Xander Bogaerts, Fernando Tatis Jr, and veteran Manny Machado. 

Machado is truly the leader in the clubhouse and will be set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2023 season after he expressed he will opt out of his current deal. 

Machado spoke with Padres insider Dennis Lin and said he is open to talks during the season. 

“Deadlines are deadlines,” Machado said. “But they know where I stand. The opportunity will arise if it comes to that. You know, nothing’s out of question. Obviously, they know how much San Diego means to me and what I want to be here. At the end of the day, they knew exactly where I was when that deadline was set. And we’ll see what happens. Our main focus right now is playing baseball. We’ll see.”

Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres before the 2019 season. Part of the agreement came with the ability to opt-out after the 2023 campaign. 

Manny, 30, is one of the best players in the majors and is a fantastic defender anywhere on the infield. The righty slugger had one of his best seasons as a pro in 2022, slashing .298/.366/.531 with a .897 OPS while homering 32 times and knocking in 102 RBIs, the second-most in his career. Manny also came in second in NL MVP voting behind Cardinals infielder Paul Goldschmidt. 

According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the Padres had offered the third baseman a five-year, $105 million extension a couple of weeks ago. 

The money that was passed around this offseason has shifted the market a ton, and Manny wants a taste of what guys like Aaron Judge and Trea Turner received this past offseason. 

Manny will get his money, and the Padres would love to retain him. Could they make it work?