With no shortage of superstars getting paid lucrative amounts of money during the 2022 offseason, San Diego Padres' star Manny Machado is planning to test his luck in free agency following the 2023 campaign. Machado, who has an opt-out clause in his contract with the Padres, said he plans to exercise his opt-out next offseason. Machado added that San Diego is aware where he stands on his contract situation, per Chelsea Janes.
“There’s a lot of money out there,” Machado said. “As a player about to opt out, it’s pretty good to see.”
Machado previously stated that he's “for sure” open to contract discussions with the Padres this season. However, San Diego would seemingly need to pay him an absurd amount of money to keep him from testing the open market based on this latest declaration. And with other superstars such as Fernando Tatis Jr., Yu Darvish, and Xander Bogaerts already locked into large contracts for the foreseeable future, it will be interesting to see how the Padres approach Manny Machado's contract situation.
Machado was one of the best players in all of baseball last year. He's a superb defender who provides plenty of production at the plate. He ultimately slashed .298/.366/.531 with an .898 OPS and 32 home runs. His effort was especially important amid Tatis Jr.'s injury/PED suspension.
One area where Manny Machado has also improved is from a leadership standpoint. San Diego may be inclined to pay him a lucrative amount of money, whether it's via an extension this season or a new contract in free agency next offseason, as a result of his on-field play and leadership prowess.
For now, barring unforeseen circumstances, Manny Machado plans to opt-out and test free agency.
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