The San Diego Padres have built a star-studded lineup in recent years, and the first big acquisition was signing superstars third baseman Manny Machado in free agency. Machado is new viewed as the leader of the Padres, but it took a lot of growth throughout his career, and Machado credited former Baltimore Orioles teammates Adam Jones, JJ Hardy and Nick Markakis for showing him the ropes.
I had a really good group of guys early on in my career that kind of taught me this,” Manny Machado said of former Orioles teammates Adam Jones, JJ Hardy and Nick Markakis, via Lindsey Adler of The Wall Street Journal. “That made it easier for me to lead when I got in this position.”
Machado had an opt-out clause at the end of this season that was included in his initial 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres. Before the season started, the Padres agreed to an 11-year, $350 million contract extension that runs through the 2033 MLB season. Machado will be 40 at the time. For him, it was never a doubt that he would remain in San Diego.
“In my mind, I was always going to be a Padres,” Machado said after signing his new deal, via Adler.
Machado also believes that the Padres treated him with respect at a time when his reputation as a player was at a low point. There was a time with the Orioles and even during his brief stint with the Los Angeles Dodgers that Machado was not liked among fans. Now, he is viewed as the clubhouse leader for a World Series contender.
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