Third baseman Manny Machado has been with the San Diego Padres since the 2019 season, and he was the first big signing of this new era. He represented a new hope for the Padres organization, and they have been much more competitive since he joined.
He quickly became a fan favorite and has been the staple of success with this team. Machado has fit in well with the Padres franchise, so when the time came to renegotiate his contract, San Diego obliged.
Heading into the 2023 season, Machado held an opt-out that he likely would have used. But the Padres didn't want to take any chances of him leaving, so they extended him on an 11-year, $350 million contract.
However, Machado had a down 2023 season, and now there is thought that he could miss part of the 2024 season while he recovers from elbow surgery. Mixing in all of this, plus his age (31), his contract may not be the most team-friendly.
It topped a list of potential nightmare contracts around baseball by 2026. Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report isn't sold on the deal that Machado received.
"rather than risk losing him this offseason, they re-signed him to an 11-year, $350 million contract back in February. Already, they might be regretting that decision. And by two years from now, it might be a full-blown disaster for them."
Part of the struggles from his 2023 season is likely due to the elbow issues that he dealt with, but it's still concerning for the Padres. He finished the year hitting .258 with 30 home runs and 91 runs batted in.
Machado was still productive for San Diego, but his batting average was the second-lowest of his career. He also only appeared in 138 games, which is the lowest amount for him since the 2014 season.
"Contract: $21 million in 2026, $40 million annually from 2027-33 ($301 million total owed), 2023 Stats: .258/.319/.462, 30 HR, 91 RBI, 2.9 bWAR"
He will be coming off a down year, and typically many infielders start to regress around his age. Machado could still end up being a solid investment by the Padres, but right now, it's looking a little bit frightening for them.
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