San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado made his feelings clear on the status of pending free agents for the organization.
The Padres came into the season with starting pitchers Dylan Cease and Michael King expected to hit free agency and secure nine-figure, multi-year deals.
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Closer Robert Suarez has a mutual option for the upcoming season, though he is expected to opt out and secure a longer-term contract.
First baseman Luis Arraez, along with newly acquired slugger Ryan O’Hearn, are also out of contract this winter. With the Padres’ payroll rising, it is likely not going to be feasible for them to keep all of their free agents.
These are core players for the Padres, meaning they will need to find replacements on the market via trade or free agency.
Machado, a key leader in the locker room, made his feelings clear to the front office about what approach he expects.
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“I mean, I hope so,” Machado said to reporters after the season ended.
“There’s no better way than what we did this year with what we had. I mean, we cut payroll, and we do what we do; hopefully, we bring back [Ryan] O’Hearn, we bring back all the guys that we need to be here.
“I mean, this team is ready. We fell short this year, but we’re confident in the group that we have that we can go out there and repeat it every single year.
“I hope they continue to do that and listen to us, and ultimately listen to the fans that want to bring a championship to the city of San Diego.”
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The Padres have a projected payroll of just under $170 million, a good chunk less than the $211 million figure that last year’s team funded.
Adding in modest arbitration projections, San Diego should end up at around $190 million entering free agency, giving them a good $20 million or so to re-sign free agents.
This amount won’t be good enough to bring back everyone, but a few key names could return, and cheaper alternatives could be found on the market as well.
Machado likely won’t be happy with the result since he wants everyone back, but the Padres will need to balance short-term ambition with long-term financial flexibility.
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