Reports: Machado, With Eye To Legacy, Set To Sign $350 Million Extension To Stay In San Diego

By Editor, Times of San Diego

February 27, 2023

The Padres likely have secured Manny Machado for the remainder of his career.

The All-Star, according to MLB.com, will sign a $350-million extension over 11 years that grants him a full no-trade clause.

That means the third baseman, who will turn 31 in July, will be in San Diego through 2033, when he is 41.

Though neither Machado nor the team would confirm the extension, he told reporters on Sunday, MLB reported, that “we’re excited to be here for the rest of our careers and have this hat go into the Hall of Fame.”

He has the numbers to make it there, but he brings more to the table, manager Bob Melvin said.

The veteran skipper, entering his second season with the team, told the MLB Network that Machado has grown to understand his role not just as a player, but also as a clubhouse leader and someone with the potential to have a greater impact for the city.

“He’s about as an important part of this thing, to me, as anybody here,” Melvin said.

The Miami native signed a 10-year, $300-million contract with the Padres before the 2019 season. But with an opt-out clause available to him after the end of the coming season, even with six years left on the original deal and $180 million owed to him, Machado had signaled his intent to test the market.

He became a star after his 2012 debut in Baltimore and briefly landed in Los Angeles following a mid-season trade in 2018, before settling in San Diego.

He has enjoyed enormous success while becoming a fixture at Petco Park, watching as the team developed, acquired or and signed additional talent from Fernando Tatis Jr. to Juan Soto to Xander Bogaerts.

Machado’s Padre tenure has included two seasons, 2020 and 2022, in which he was a finalist for the National League MVP award, and two trips to the playoffs, in the same years.

What he doesn’t have is a ring – the Padres fell to the Phillies in last season’s NL Championship Series – but is it clearly in his sights, MLB reported, even when his contract status was still in question as spring training began.

“I think, my focus is on bringing a championship to this team and to this city that’s been waiting for it for a long time,” he said.

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