The president of baseball operations at the San Diego Padres, AJ Preller, is adamant: Manny Machado is in the plans of the team and there is no question for him to see things differently.
The third base player could taste autonomy at the end of the 2023 season, which makes the team’s supporters quite insecure.
The Padres have changed their business model significantly over the past few years in order to stay competitive against the deep-pocketed and very attractive Dodgers. Will the arrival of Juan Soto and Xander Bogaerts and the return of Fernando Tatis Jr. have the effect of making Machado non-essential to the team’s success?
Machado has proven beyond a shadow of a doubt that he is the leader of the club in opposition to the reprehensible behavior of his young teammate Tatis Jr.
The one who has been in the Majors since 2012 shows no signs of slowing down despite 11 seasons on the clock. The proof is that last year, Machado finished second in the race for the title of most valuable player in the National.
The decision to leave the Padres would be his and not that of the management if we trust the words of Preller. Playing alongside an athlete like Xander Bogaerts should be an additional source of motivation for the 30-year-old veteran to consider signing another contract with the team.
In the midst of a 10-year, $300 million pact with the Padres, Machado has the option to test autonomy halfway through his current deal. He still has an amount of $ 160 million to receive by the end of his contract signed in 2019.
The arrival of Bogaerts coupled with the return following a suspension of Tatis Jr. will create an infield traffic jam in San Diego. Bob Melvin will have to find room to get everyone to play and keep them happy.
The consistency Manny Machado has shown since arriving in San Diego has had a hand in the fact that the Padres have earned a playoff berth twice in the past three seasons.
The 2023 campaign will therefore be thrilling for the Padres. In addition to relentlessly fighting for the title of its division, the team will have to convince its leader to continue on the road with him.
