Free-Spending San Diego Padres Need To Reach For Their Checkbook If Seeking To Retain Manny Machado After This Season

Third baseman Manny Machado wants more money and he’s informed the San Diego Padres of just that.

Machado notified the club that at the end of the season he’s opting out of his 10-year, $30 million deal that he signed in 2019. The Padres, according to the San Diego Union-Tribune, presented Machado with a five-year, $105 million extension to his current pact.

It was the only proposal that the Padres made and Machado decided it wasn’t enough before his self-imposed deadline on exchanging figures. San Diego, though, does maintain exclusive negotiating rights until the beginning of free agency this winter.

Machado, who spent his first seven seasons with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers, has been extremely productive during his four seasons with the Padres, who advanced to the National League Championship Series last year.

In addition to being an elite defender, Machado has slugged 108 home runs and earned a 17.6 Wins Above Replacement distinction with San Diego, according to Baseball Reference.

No doubt Machado’s decision is based partly on a couple of factors as the Padres are poised to start the season with a franchise-record $239 million payroll.

Machado, and his top-shelf agent, Dan Lozano, witnessed what the Padres were willing to pay two marquee free agents in the offseason, outfielder Aaron Judge and infielder Trea Turner, before they signed with the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies, respectively.

The Padres also awarded shortstop Xavier Bogaerts an 11-year, $280 million pact and they recently extended the contract of right-hander Yu Darvish to the tune of six years and $108 million.

Of course the Padres’ fingers are crossed with Fernando Tatis, Jr., their troubled young star that is still owed $324 million over 12 years. Tatis returns this year after serving the final 20 games of his 80-game suspension for using performance-enhancing drugs and undergoing two wrist surgeries and a shoulder operation.

Tatis will join forces with Machado, 30, for at least for another season.

“So far this year, I’m a Padre, but who knows next year,’’ Machado said. “My focus is about 2023 and what I can do for this ballclub, and what I’ve done for this organization and what we are going to continue to do here. I think we have something special here growing, and I don’t think anything is going to change.’’

That is as long as the Padres dig into their pockets for some more coin. Speculation is Machado will be asking for a deal with an annual yearly average in the $40 million range.

Machado, a six-time All-Star who’s been accused of being a dirty player by others, isn’t universally loved throughout baseball. But in San Diego he’s a clear-cut fan favorite and the heart-and-soul of a team that is loaded with talent and not shy about wrestling with the luxury tax.

San Diego, which doesn’t share the market with another professional team from the top four leagues, is seemingly flush with cash when considering how freely the money flows from Padres owner Peter Seidler.

“It’s a business,’’ said Machado, whose deal is no longer in the top 10 in baseball. “Markets change…they know where I stand.’’

If the Padres want to keep Machado, a top-three finisher in the past two National League MVP award balloting, hanging around the hot corner it will be costly.

Remember that the team is also wrestling with the potential of signing outfielder Juan Soto to a long-term deal ($400 million?) and have been on Los Angeles Angels’ star Shohei Ohtani since he was in high school.

Ohtani, unless he’s resigned by the Angels, will be a free agent next year. The same can now be said about Machado.