Manny Machado peaking with Padres couldn't be better timing given contract extension

When the San Diego Padres gave Manny Machado an 11-year, $350 million extension before the 2023 season, it definitely raised some eyebrows. There is no denying how good Machado had been with the Padres after two top-three finishes in the MVP race in three years, but the number of decade-plus deals that extend into a player's 40s that have aged well is a very, very short list.

Still, the Padres made their bet to keep Machado in the fold, but the plan almost immediately backfired when Machado needed elbow surgery after the 2023 season. While he did recover in time for the start of 2024, it took Machado a while to get fully reintegrated in the infield, and his .742 OPS in the first half was extremely ordinary and a potentially disastrous sign for the future.

Fortunately, after a strong second half that has Machado making franchise history, the Padres' short-term and long-term fortunes are looking a whole lot better.

And if he can lead a magical postseason charge in 2024? Perhaps the rest of the contract won't even matter.

Manny Machado's second half surge bodes extremely well for the Padres in 2024 and beyond

After his so-so first half, Machado has come alive after the All-Star break with a .294/.347/.565 with 13 homers and 42 RBI. His recent results have been even better than that as he has a .951 OPS since August 1. That is the Manny Machado that Padres fans were expecting to see and San Diego has sure needed it from him with Jurickson Profar falling off over the same time span.

With Machado getting further and further away from the elbow injury that looked like it was going to rob him of his explosiveness and defensive excellence, it looks like he is officially back. He is mashing fastballs again, and assuming he can keep this pace up he is once again one of the better hitters in all of baseball. The Padres' playoff aspirations in 2024 look more and more possible with a healthy and productive Machado.

More than that, though, Machado's re-emergence gives hope that the Padres aren't immediately regretting the massive deal they gave him. There is still a strong likelihood that his deal will look bad down the road because, well, that's cost of doing business in the modern era. But Machado worked hard to avoid that discussion from ballooning, and now Padres fans can enjoy him lighting it up on the field.

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