Macchiado Said He Would Leave The Padres At The End Of The Year

Padres star infielder Manny Machado is currently on a $30 million per year contract, but he has been outspoken in the media about his decision to quit, according to MLB.com.

The report noted that Machado, who signed a record-breaking 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres in 2019, has the option to opt out at the end of the fifth year of the deal, which he intends to do. "I think I've made it very clear that I'm going to opt out this year, and management is very clear." But he also stressed that his focus would be on the current season. "I'm focused on what I can bring to the team in 2023, not what we can do in 2024."

The article also noted that this offseason saw a number of player deals, such as Aaron Judge's nine-year deal with the Yankees for $360 million, Rafael Devers' 11-year deal with the Red Sox for $331 million, and Trea Turner's 11-year deal with the Phillies for $300 million. Machado SAID HE WOULD BE OPEN TO A NEW CONTRACT OF THE SAME LENGTH. "HOPEFULLY," HE SAID. He said he hopes to have as long a career as his 42-year-old teammate Nelson Cruz.

The Padres' potential signings of Xander Bogaerts and Yu Darvish over the winter proved that the team was willing to spend big to maintain and improve the team, and manager Bob Melvin has the same attitude about Macchiado. "We are willing to keep important members of the team, and I'm sure there is an opportunity to keep Macchiado, I don't want to know what the TEAM will be like without him."

Machado did not set a timetable for negotiating a contract with the organization, choosing to focus on the field. "I go out there and do everything I can day in and day out, and I'm honored to be a baseball player," he said.