What is Manny Machado (30, San Diego Padres) thinking as he watches the overheated MLB transfer market?
New York Post columnist John Heyman said on the 17th (Korean time), “I expect Machado, a superstar, to opt out after 2023. San Diego thinks that could happen too.”
Machado, who debuted with the Baltimore Orioles, earned his first free agent rights at the end of the 2018 season. Along with Bryce Harper (Philadelphia Phillies), who obtained free agency rights in the same year, they were the youngest All-Star hitters to come out. Harper was already a National League Most Valuable Player (MVP) player in 2015, and Machado was a hitter who consistently hit 30 or more homers while showing top third base defense. While playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade right before free agency, he perfectly digested the shortstop defense and earned an extra point.
Harper, who chose to go to Philadelphia at the time, actually chose the ‘Life’ Philadelphia Man with a contract without opt-out (13 years, $330 million), but Machado was different. Having signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the San Diego Padres, he added a device that allows him to declare an opt-out after exactly half of his contract.
Since then, Machado has performed at the top level for the past four years. His first year was a bit sluggish, but he got his money’s worth by finishing 3rd in the 2020 MVP and 2nd in the 2022 MVP. He also served as a leader in San Diego, where there were many young players. He also played in 150 games this year and excelled with a batting average of 0.298, 32 home runs, 102 RBIs and 100 runs scored. In the postseason, he played in 12 games with a batting average of 0.271, 4 home runs, 7 RBIs, and an OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.910, defeating the rival Dodgers and raising the team to the National League Championship Series.
Even after 4 years of his contract, his skills are not going to decline. He is also the first to fall down with his age, and his defensive power is also healthy. He tied a career high and third overall among third basemen with +9 OAA (outs created versus average) this season. 메이저놀이터
It’s been 4 years since his first free agency, but his age, still on the young side, is also a strength. Born in 1992, he is the same age as Aaron Judge (New York Yankees, 9 years, 360 million dollars) and Zander Bogatz (11 years, 280 million dollars), who signed large contracts in the free agent market this year. It appears on the market only one year after them, but since its skills are still top-notch, it is highly likely that it will sign a new large-scale contract.
“If Machado opts out, he will be the biggest free agent player in 2024, along with Los Angeles Angels superstar Shohei Ohtani and third baseman Rafael Devers, whom the Boston Red Sox are seeking to extend,” Heyman said. MLB.com, the MLB official website citing Heyman’s story, said, “If Machado declares an opt-out, Carlos Correa ($350 million), Trey Turner ($300 million) and Bogatz will be the reference point for the new contract.”