What Manny Machado Extension Means for New York Mets

The Mets will not get the opportunity to go after Manny Machado in next year's free agent class.

WEST PALM BEACH - He's off the board.

Potential Mets free agent target Manny Machado will not hit the open market next offseason.

According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Machado and the San Diego Padres have agreed to an 11-year, $350 million contract extension.

Machado has been one of the best players in the game since making his big-league debut back in 2012.

The third baseman also played for Mets manager Buck Showalter in Baltimore for the first seven years of his career.

With Machado out of the mix, this all but guarantees a clear path for Mets top prospect Brett Baty to claim the third base job next season and beyond.

Baty is off to a hot start this spring with two hits in the Mets' intrasquad game and a home run in his first Grapefruit League contest.

Baty, and Eduardo Escobar, were nearly displaced from third base when the Mets agreed to a deal with Carlos Correa in December. However, the deal fell through and now Baty and Escobar are competing for a job at the hot corner.

Escobar has a club option in 2024, but by then, it's likely that Baty will be far along in his development to be the every day third baseman in the major leagues.

In addition to third base not being blocked, the Mets can also shift their sole focus to going after two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, who will be a free agent after the season.

Read More:

- Pete Alonso on Pace to be All-Time Great Met Despite Uncertain Future

- How Brett Baty is Approaching Mets' Third Base Competition

- MLB Insider Lists Mets as Shohei Ohtani Suitor

Follow Pat Ragazzo on Twitter (@ragazzoreport), be sure to bookmark Inside The Mets and check back daily for news, analysis and more.