Padres’ Manny Machado Contract is Suddenly Looking Like a Complete Albatross

Over the last seven seasons, the San Diego Padres have gone all-in in as they chased that elusive World Series title. However, while the Padres have been successful, the goal of winning it all hasn't come to fruition.

This has left the Padres' cap in some real trouble, and the front office has been looking for ways to cut payroll. This has seen multiple stars leave or be traded from the organization.

Part of the problem for the Padres has been large contracts signed, with a few being much worse than others. One of the bigger problem contracts that the Padres still have on the books belongs to star third baseman Manny Machado, who is still owed $39 million each year for the next seven seasons following 2026.

Machado is currently 33 years old, and his play has already started to show signs of decline this season. So this means that San Diego will be paying the veteran over $270 million between his age 34-40 seasons — which aren't exactly the prime years of his career.

Reminder that after this season, the Padres owe Manny Machado over $270 million from his age 34-40 seasons

This is a disaster. https://t.co/dt8R9XF5QI pic.twitter.com/H2KxTGEkUr
— AT (@BaseballWRLD_) May 10, 2026

So far this year, Machado has hit .191 with six home runs and 20 runs batted in, while posting an OPS of .647. Machado had been one of the more consistent players for the Padres on offense, but this year, he's struggled greatly.

With this, his contract becomes even more problematic, and the Padres are somewhat stuck where they are. His deal, combined with others like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Xander Bogaerts, doesn't offer San Diego much flexibility to work with going forward.

Contracts like Machado's have helped the Padres be successful at the start of this decade, but they may end up holding them back at the end. This could also hinder the moves made by the front office down the line, especially if a salary cap comes into play following the 2026 season.

Depending on how a salary cap structure looks, the Padres could have the majority of the money tied up between Machado, Tatis and Bogaerts for the foreseeable future. Each player is signed through at least the 2033 season.

Machado, himself, is signed through the 2034 season, and the Padres aren't likely to be able to move his deal. So it seems that all San Diego can do is hope that the veteran All-Star can figure things out moving forward; otherwise, this contract is going to be a massive problem for this franchise over the next handful of seasons.

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