Just days after the news that six-time All-Star and two-time All-MLB First Team third baseman Manny Machado stated his plan to opt out of his contract following the 2023 season, the New York Mets are already being linked.
On Friday, when the update was shared by Chelsea Janes of the Washington Post, Machado was quoted saying, “There’s a lot of money to be made out there. … As a player about to opt-out, it’s pretty good to see.” Per Janes, Machado also stated how different the market is now compared to when he signed with the San Diego Padres in 2019.
Machado, currently heading into year five of that 10-year deal signed in 2019, is reportedly set to command $40 million per year in his next contract. Coming off a season in which he posted a stat line consisting of a .298 batting average, 32 home runs, 102 runs batted in, and a .898 OPS, at still only 30 years old, Machado is certainly more than deserving of that type of money.
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Mets linked to future free agent Manny Machado:
Machado is set to sign a lucrative contract, and Bob Nightengale of USA Today recently mentioned the Mets as a team to potentially give him that deal.
“If the Padres don’t pay it, well, don’t think for a second that someone like the New York Mets or Yankees or San Francisco Giants or the Chicago Cubs will hesitate.”
It will not be easy for the Mets to land Machado if the Padres do not give him a new contract before next offseason. But, with Steve Cohen, nothing can ever be counted out.
Whether it be the ability to hit for contact (.282 career batting average), power (six 30-plus HR seasons), or defense at the hot corner (two-time Gold Glove), Machado has so much to offer. Not to mention, he is still well in the prime of his career. Should the Padres not give Machado the new deal he expects, allowing him to hit the open market, it is probably safe to expect the Mets to show some considerable interest in him next winter.