Over the weekend, the San Diego Padres were able to check an important item off of their to-do list.
Slugger and MVP finalist Manny Machado was prepared to opt out of the remaining five years of his contract.
Fortunately, it didn’t take long for him and the Padres to discuss a new deal.
On Sunday morning, Machado and the Padres agreed to an 11-year, $350 million contract, which will likely keep Machado in a Padres uniform for the rest of his career.
Yesterday, the slugger met with former MLB star Yonder Alonso, now an analyst for MLB Network, to discuss the process and what led him to agree to the deal.
“It was a decision that was tough, but I think at the end of the day in our minds we were only seeing one color, one jersey and it was the @Padres.”
More with @YonderalonsoU and Manny coming soon 👀 pic.twitter.com/5diYpxZxRL
— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) March 1, 2023
Machado began his interview with Alonso by thanking him for showing him the ropes of being a Major League player and what players need to do to be great.
Alonso is in fact Machado’s brother in law, and was a mentor to the slugger in the early days of his career.
The slugger then talked about what led him to agree to the new deal with the Padres.
Machado discussed his feelings on the matter, saying that it was ultimately a tough decision to make as he debated entering free agency again or remaining a member of the Padres.
The six-time All-Star went on to say, however, that the decision to remain a Padre made the most sense, and that he felt that San Diego was where he belonged.
He closed out the interview by expressing his excitement for the future as the team looks to remain in contention for years to come.
NEXT: Padres Add A Key Veteran Bat To Their Mix
