Padres Could Make Surprising Move With Manny Machado

Manny Machado has been the heart of the Padres for nearly a decade. 

For the first time in a long time, there's a conversation starting about whether that's still true a year from now.

Down Year Fuels New Ownership Speculation

FanSided's Pat Ragazzo laid out the case in a piece published this week, arguing that San Diego's new ownership group will likely need to move on from one of its three largest contracts, Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. or Xander Bogaerts, and that Machado is the most realistic candidate of the three. 

Tatis is widely considered the Padres' best player and is only in year six of his 14-year extension, making him close to untouchable. 

Bogaerts, meanwhile, has never quite matched the production San Diego expected when he signed, which makes him a tougher sell to other front offices even if the team wanted to move him. 

That leaves Machado. The seven-time All-Star is hitting just .221 with 28 home runs, 83 RBIs and 79 runs scored through 148 games, a career-low .720 OPS that stands out sharply against his usual production. 

The Padres new owners will probably have to dump one of their top three contracts this winter with Manny Machado likely being the odd man out, per @ragazzoreport

“Tatis is the Padres’ best player and is in year-six of a 14-year, $340 million extension. Bogaerts hasn’t been the… pic.twitter.com/BbdUMYVynu

— Punchoutpitch (@Punchoutpitch) September 15, 2026

San Diego's ownership situation adds another layer here. New owners Jose E. Feliciano and Kwanza Jones have both said publicly they're committed to winning in San Diego, but they've also acknowledged spending will look different than it did under the previous ownership group. 

That combination, a down year at the plate plus new owners reassessing payroll, is usually the kind of environment where a franchise starts fielding calls on even its biggest names. 

The No-Trade Clause Makes This Complicated

Even if San Diego wanted to move Machado, actually doing it wouldn't be simple. 

He's in the fourth year of the 11-year, $350 million extension he signed back in February 2023, and starting next season his base salary jumps to roughly $39.1 million annually for seven more years. 

Manny Machado is the greatest defensive third baseman of our generation pic.twitter.com/7B6AYsbqcI https://t.co/nEl6uPWc0Z

— Baseball King (@BasebaIlKing) September 18, 2026

Any team taking that on would need the Padres to eat a significant chunk of the money just to make a deal workable, and San Diego would also need Machado's sign-off, since the extension includes a full no-trade clause.