Star third baseman Manny Machado and the San Diego Padres are finalizing an 11-year, $350 million contract extension, sources familiar with the deal told ESPN.
Initial talks over an extension broke down after Machado, 30, said earlier this week that he intended to opt out of the final five years (and $150 million) of his current contract with the Padres. While Machado had a February 16 deadline to reach a new deal, Machado’s agent, Dan Lozano of MVP Sports, and Padres general manager A.J. The conversation continued between Preller. The deal is expected to be official soon.
A franchise cornerstone of an emerging franchise, Machado is coming off arguably the best season of his career, hitting .298/.366/.531 with 32 home runs and 102 RBI. He finished second in National League MVP voting and led the Padres to the National League Championship Series, where they were ousted by the Philadelphia Phillies.
Machado’s arrival in San Diego in 2019 for a 10-year, $300 million deal signaled a new era for the Padres, who have yet to win a World Series in their 54-year history. Shortstop Fernando Tatis Jr. joined the Padres as a rookie during Machado’s first season in San Diego, and thrived in the COVID-shortened 2020 season when the team struggled to a 70-92 finish, the star Got a significant boost with the acquisition of outfielder Juan Sotolo last year and continued spending this winter with the signing of shortstop Xander Bogarts to an 11-year, $280 million contract.
San Diego currently maintains the third most competitive balance tax payroll in Major League Baseball at over $266 million, according to Baseball Prospectus. With Tatis and Bogarts owed more than $600 million, a nine-figure extension for right-hander Yu Dervishand Joe Musgrove, and Soto’s impending free agency after the 2024 season, the question of whether the Padres will retain Machado was one of the most prominent. baseball this spring.
As recently as last week, it seemed impossible. Sources told ESPN’s Eldon Gonzalez that the Padres had offered Machado a five-year, $105 million extension on top of the six years and $180 million including this season. Machado was demanding more than the $25.45 million he received from Bogarts in one year and said he planned to move out.
“Markets change,” Machado said.
Baseball was on the course since 2019 when Machado signed with the Padres after a long winter in which he and another available star Bryce Harper didn’t sign their megadeals until late February. San Diego has turned into a powerhouse since then, and it hopes to catch the Los Angeles Dodgers for NL West supremacy this year by defeating them in the division series in 2022.
In four seasons with the Padres, Machado hit .280/.352/.504 while hitting .280/.340 and winning a pair of Gold Gloves at third base. The Padres didn’t let failed negotiations deter them the first time, with owner Peter Seidler making an offer of more than $50 million this spring, describing Machado as “my top priority.”
Had Machado reached free agency in a given year, there would have been far more interest in him than last time. The New York Mets were thought to be particularly suitable for him, and others would have stepped in as contenders, but Machado’s desire to remain in San Diego amid the championship push helped lead the sides to a deal. Did.
In Machado, the Padres locked down a player not only on the Hall of Fame track but who has played some of their best baseballs in recent years. Like Bogarts and Darvish, Machado will be signed in his 40s once the deal is completed, and that will take him well past two decades in the big leagues.
Machado debuted with Baltimore just after his 20th birthday and developed into a perennial top-five MVP candidate by his fourth season, when he hit .286/.359/.502 with 35 home runs, hitting six home runs. was one of the 30-homer-plus seasons. His combination of power, above-average plate discipline, and a distinctive glove and arm make him an undeniable offense-defense combination, and no lineup in baseball boasts a foursome as strong as him, Soto, Bogarts, and Tatis. , the latter of whom may rejoin San Diego on April 20 after his performance-enhancing drug suspension expires.
The deal is the fourth largest guaranteed deal in sports history behind Aaron Judge, Mike Trout, and Mookie Betts.