Manny Machado, Padres agree to 11-year extension
Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Manny Machado is going to be with the San Diego Padres for the rest of his career.
With an opt-out looming and rumors swirling, Peter Seidler made sure that Machado stayed home. The two sides agreed on an 11-year, $350 million deal that will keep Machado, the face of the franchise, in San Diego for presumably the rest of his career. The deal will begin this season, meaning it will take Machado through 2033, when he is 41. According to Dennis Lin, there are no opt-outs in the new deal as well as a full no-trade clause.
Machado also gets full no-trade protection.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 26, 2023
It’s the latest in a series of bold and expensive deals from Seidler and A.J. Preller. Machado has officially joined Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts as players who the Padres have already committed to into the 2030s.
The accolades for Machado are numerous. He’s made six All-Star games, including the last two with the Padres. He’s got four top-five finishes in NL MVP voting, capped off with a runner-up finish last season. At third base, he earned two Gold Gloves and a Silver Slugger. All of that on the field success is mirrored by his leadership off it.
When the team was in disarray after a disappointing 2021 season, he was a major reason why they righted the ship in 2022. When Machado was injured badly in June, he fought to get back on the field as quickly as possible. His struggles during his first month back may have cost him his first MVP award, but the team was more important to Machado.
While Tatis Jr. may have the potential to be a legend of the game someday, Machado has established himself as one already. He has grown and matured through his first decade in the big leagues. The Padres and its fans are excited to see what he can do in his second.
Machado sits at 1,597 hits and 283 home runs. He’d need 128 hits per season and 20 home runs a year to hit both the 3,000-hit mark and the 500-home run milestone. He’s posted at least 150 hits and 25 home runs in every (non-shortened) season since 2014. He has a very real shot at making history.
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Now, the massive deal makes it seem less likely that the Padres can find the money to extend Soto when he becomes a free agent after the 2024 season. However, it seemed the Bogaerts deal made it less likely they could extend Machado. Peter Seidler found a way. He may again with Soto.
If they can’t, San Diego still has two more years with Machado, Soto, Tatis Jr., and Bogaerts heading their lineup. Even without Soto, they will be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
If they can somehow keep Soto long term as well, one can only dream of what may be possible.
Manny Machado has said he wanted to be a Padre for life. Now, he will.
Sam is a Senior in High School. He has been writing for three years, and started at EVT in June of 2021. He’s headed to Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications in the fall of 2023.