Manny Machado, who will have 5 years, $150 million left on his deal with the Padres after 2023, said he plans to opt out. “Markets change,” he said.
Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres in February 2019, a deal that gives him the right to terminate the agreement after this season and become a free agent. The third baseman, who turns 31 in July, would forfeit $150 million from his current deal, which calls for a $30 million annual salary through 2028.
“Obviously, the team knows where I stand, my situation with the opt-out coming,” Machado told reporters Friday at the Padres’ spring training camp in Peoria, Arizona. “I think I’ve expressed that I will be opting out after this year, but I think my focus is not about 2024. I think my focus is about 2023, what I can do to this ballclub, what I’ve done for this organization and what we’re going to continue to do here. I think we’ve got something special here growing and I don’t think anything’s going to change.”
It wasn’t a secret, but Manny Machado publicly confirmed he’s told the Padres he intends to opt out of his contract. He declined to get into negotiations on a potential extension with the club, but did say he’d still like to play as long as new teammate Nelson Cruz has.
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 17, 2023
Manny Machado and Ha-Seong Kim Love fest 😍 #padres pic.twitter.com/RmG2w4gLe4
— Allison Edmonds (@aedmondstv) February 16, 2023