MLB Rumors: Manny Machado Expected to Opt Out of Padres Contract After 2023

The third baseman is expected to opt out of his contract with the Padres, according to reports.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported that the Padres anticipate that Machado will test the free-agent market.

Despite offers of $342 million and $414 million, respectively, the Padres missed out on the two outfielders, before signing the other one to an 11 year, $280 million deal.

The signing of Machado to a 10-year, $300 million contract by the San Diego Padres has paid dividends for both parties.

He is a two-time All-Star and a one-time Silver Slugger Award winner. He was second in the voting for the National League's Most Valuable Player in 2022.

His best season in San Diego was last year, when he hit.300 with 32 home runs, 100 runs scored, and a career-best.302 batting average.

He was a four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove Award winner before he joined the Padres.

During his time with the Padres, he has not experienced a drop-off like he did in Baltimore. He has played in over 500 games with the Padres and has slashed.280/.352/.504 with over 300 runs and over 100 home runs.

The Padres enjoyed their most extensive playoff success in years, thanks to the help of Machado. They upset the New York Mets in the NL Wild Card Series and the Dodgers in the NL Division Series to get to the NL Championship Series.

If he enjoys another big statistical campaign, it's likely that he'll opt out of his 10-year contract with the Padres.

His average annual salary of $30 million is tied for the 15th highest in MLB, and he deserves to be higher on the list.

The contracts of Judge, Verlander, and deGrom exceed the average annual salary of the player.

If Machado signs elsewhere, the Padres will be able to remain strong on the offensive side.

The Padres may be more focused on winning a World Series next season if they lose Machado.