Padres star Manny Machado pushes for A.J. Preller's contract extension

Kevin Acee, The San Diego Union-Tribune on Feb 15, 2026

Published in Baseball

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

PEORIA, Ariz. — Manny Machado arrived at spring training with the idea it will serve him and the Padres best long term if he essentially eases into camp despite needing to be in game shape in early March, when the World Baseball Classic begins and he is playing for the Dominican Republic.

Nonetheless, in his first public comments of the spring on Sunday, Machado came out swinging.

Straightaway, he parlayed a question about the addition of Nick Castellanos to offer an opinion on the state of president of baseball operations A.J. Preller’s contract status.

“You talk about getting a $20-million-dollar player for pennies on the dollar, I think that deserves an extension for A.J.,” Machado said, referring to the fact the Padres will pay Castellanos just $780,000 while the Phillies pay the remainder of his 2026 salary after releasing him on Thursday. “With (the lack of) payroll flexibility, getting a $20 million player for nothing, that’s kind of win-win for everybody here in this clubhouse.”

Lest that be dismissed as Machado simply making a quip, he made it clear later that he was “very” surprised Preller has not yet received an extension with his contract set to run out after this season.

“It’s kind of weird,” Machado said. “It’s kind of a weird situation where you have a guy who has been here for so long and has done everything for this organization. And, I mean, one gets an extension, another one doesn’t. They’ve been on the same realm. Yeah, it’s kind of weird.”

That was a reference to CEO Erik Greupner receiving a contract extension last year that runs through at least the end of the decade. In 2021, Preller and Greupner were both signed to extensions that ran through ‘26.

Multiple people familiar with talks between Preller and team chairman John Seidler, who is in Peoria for the official start of camp, have said a resolution is not far off. Preller on Sunday reiterated his belief a deal will get done.

Asked about Machado campaigning for him, Preller said, “You give out a $300 million contract, usually you get those kind of comments.”

Machado, who signed a $300 million, 10-year contract with the Padres in 2019 and after four seasons playing under that deal signed an 11-year, $350 million extension, did say he thinks Preller will remain.

“Obviously, there’s a lot going on right now with the organization, but I think they’ll figure it out,” Machado said. “I think at the end of the day, we all know the value of A.J. in this organization.”

The goings-on have included Preller trying to build out the roster and Seidler working through the process of selling the team, which is believed to be nearing its final stages.

Machado on Sunday morning also provided commentary on the state of ownership. He first tied it to the job Preller has done in building a playoff team on a budget.

“I mean, the last few years, we’ve been pieces away — whether it’s ownership or budget-related, we’ve kind of been limited on some things,” Machado said. “We’ve had some missing pieces. I think (Preller) does his best to put the best team out there. He’s done it the last I don’t know how many years.”

The Padres’ payroll will sit in excess of $230 million once the three contracts agreed to this weekend — Castellanos and pitchers Griffin Canning and Germán Márquez — are finalized. That ranks eighth in Major League Baseball.

But almost half that money was committed on or before April 1, 2023, under the stewardship of late chairman Peter Seidler.

Seidler and his fellow owners incurred massive debt while inflating the payroll to $282 million in 2023, third highest in the league. Following Seidler’s death in November 2023, and with MLB demanding the Padres drastically trim their debt, the team slashed nearly $100 million from the payroll and went on to win 93 games in 2024.

With their payroll back among the top 10, the Padres made the postseason for the fourth time in six seasons in ‘25.

Machado, however, has made enough pointed comments regarding spending in recent years to make clear he thinks ownership can do more.

On Sunday, he lamented the fact that the Seidler ownership is coming to an end but sounded a hopeful note about the future.

“Peter’s vision, we’ve all bought into it,” he said. “It’s sad that it’s (on) its last strings. … At the end of the day, all we can ask for is the next ownership to do what is best for the city. I think this city deserves the best. We’re so close. We’ve come so close. We’ve come so far. We’re excited for new ownership to come in and hopefully continue Peter’s legacy.”

____