San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado said Friday he intends to opt out of his 10-year, $300 million deal after the 2023 season and test free agency.
He told reporters the team is aware of his decision.
“So far, this year, I’m a Padre but who knows after next year,” he said. “The team knows where I stand, with the opt-out coming, and I think I’ve expressed that I will be opting out after this year.”
Machado signed his big contract with the Padres on Feb. 21, 2019, and it included a player option after five seasons. Since then, he’s seen the market for infielders reset, with the Los Angeles Angels’ Anthony Rendon ($35 million) and the St. Louis Cardinals’ Nolan Arenado ($32.5 million) earning more than their fellow third baseman in terms of average annual value per contract.
Shortstops Corey Seager of the Texas Rangers ($32.5 million), Carlos Correa of the Minnesota Twins ($33.3 million) and Francisco Lindor of the New York Mets ($34.1 million) also earn more than Machado’s $30 million per year.
Machado, 30, has slugged 108 home runs and driven in 340 runs in his first four seasons in San Diego. He has an OPS of .855 with the Padres and finished third in the National League MVP voting in 2020 and second last year.
A six-time All-Star and two-time Golden Glove winner, Machado has a lifetime batting average of .282 with 1,597 hits, 283 homers and 853 RBIs with the Baltimore Orioles (2012-18), Los Angeles Dodgers (2018) and Padres.
Machado is one of five Padres players on the active roster earning more than $20 million a year, joining pitchers Joe Musgrove and Yu Darvish, shortstop Xander Bogaerts and outfielder Juan Soto.
–Field Level Media