Sustainable? Manny Machado and Padres Agree on $350 Million Contract

“A lot of stuff happens in this game,” he said. “You can’t be surprised. I’m just going to be ready wherever they tell me they need me.”

Machado’s new deal seems to lessen the odds of such a return. Bogaerts, to many, had represented insurance in case Machado opted out after this season. If that had happened, Bogaerts could have moved to third base, making room for Tatis at shortstop, but that path now appears blocked.

Even with the team’s defensive positioning having been decided for the foreseeable future, the present for San Diego is complicated by the Padres having several players, including Bogaerts, Kim and Machado, on the verge of leaving for the World Baseball Classic. The time away will limit the opportunity for the double-play combination of Bogaerts and Kim to gain familiarity. And Kim, who is statistically the team’s best defensive option at shortstop, will pause his development at second base to play his natural position for Korea.

“That’s the part I worry about the most, is maybe them not getting as many reps together,” Melvin said of his infielders.

Regardless of how the pieces fit together, the collection of stars had led to a feeling in San Diego that the team, which played in the National League Championship Series in October, is on the verge of something special. The club capped season ticket sales for the first time in history, at roughly 24,000, and has a waiting list. The Padres appear poised to draw three million fans for only the second time in club history and could set a club record.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/02/27/sports/baseball/san-diego-padres.html