Manny Machado's future in San Diego with the Padres is in question based on reports that he could opt out of his contract following the 2023 campaign. In fact, Jon Heyman recently reported that Machado is expected to opt out of his deal, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Carlos Correa, Trea Turner, and Xander Bogaerts all received lucrative deals in MLB free agency this offseason. And one could argue that Manny Machado, who was an NL MVP finalist in 2022, offers more value than each of those players. Granted, Machado will be 31-years old next offseason. Nevertheless, it wouldn't be surprising to see him ink a fairly similar deal to Aaron Judge if he posts another MVP caliber season.

Machado was the backbone for the Padres after Fernando Tatis Jr was suspended for PEDs in 2022. His offense speaks for itself, as Machado slashed .298/.366/.531 with an .898 OPS and 32 home runs. Additionally, Manny Machado is regarded as one of the best defensive third baseman in all of baseball. His all-around value was crucial in guiding San Diego to the NLCS in 2022.

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The Padres could attempt to extend Machado this season. But he is likely to test free agency unless he endures an injury or a down year.

If Manny Machado enters free agency next offseason, it would be another lucrative winter as Shohei Ohtani is also set to hit the open market. Although Machado isn't guaranteed to opt out of his deal, it seems likelier than not that he will test the market.