MLB rumors: Manny Machado extension would screw over these 5 teams

Manny Machado rumors: San Francisco Giants need a star

The Giants whiffed on Aaron Judge and even Carlos Correa this offseason, thanks in part to a faulty physical. They were in the final pairing for Judge, before the hometown kid received a necessary bump in the offer from Hal Steinbrenner.

San Francisco wants to sign a star — they haven’t had one since the retirement of Buster Posey. Brandon Crawford isn’t the player he once was. And while Michael Conforto was a nice addition, he’s not the caliber of talent the Giants are looking for.

Signing Manny Machado — and stealing him from a rival, nonetheless — would be exactly what the doctor ordered. FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray discussed the obvious fit in San Francisco:

"“Machado would make up for missing on Judge and Correa. He has a history with Giants executive Farhan Zaidi, who traded for the superstar infielder while he was the Dodgers general manager. He would give the Giants the middle-of-the-order presence they have long been seeking. And he would likely be cheaper than Aaron Judge, who commanded a staggering nine-year, $360 million contract.”"

But if Machado were to stay in San Diego, the Giants would have to turn their focus elsewhere — perhaps Shohei Ohtani?

Manny Machado rumors: Padres themselves lose out

As great as Machado is, any contract over eight years for a player entering his age-31 season — especially if it’ll surpass $300 million — will eventually hamstring them. It could come sooner rather than later, especially with a contract for Juan Soto needed shortly. Soto will demand a deal over $500 million, especially since he already turned down a $425 million+ contract from the Washington Nationals prior to his trade to the Padres.

How will San Diego add to their core? Doing so will be tough, as they’ll need to pursue team-friendly deals, or play an astronomical amount via the luxury tax.

The Padres should want to keep Manny Machado. He’s an extraordinary talent. But the Padres aren’t in a large enough market to afford a team full of $300 million contracts.