Manny Machado, Padres Team Leader

The biggest free agent signing in San Diego Padres history is finding ways to add value to the team besides his bat and glove.

We need to talk about Manny Machado. It’s a conversation I’ve been avoiding for a number of reasons, but we’ll get into those as we go along.

I will say that, despite his 10-year $300 million contract, I am going to try and not mention money in this post. Sure, the Padres have certain expectations when they sign a guy to that kind of contract, but it’s not like they can go back on it now (nor would they). The contract is what it is, and now we can talk about the baseball.

Defense

It might catch you by surprise to learn that, in nine seasons, Manny Machado has won just two Gold Glove awards. He’s a wonderful third baseman, although maybe not quite as great now as he was when he was younger.

That’s not meant to be a knock against Manny, by the way. There are certain positions that younger players (more athletic and less of an injury history) are just better suited for and third base is one of them. Even after taking a small step back, ‘El Ministro de Defensa’ is still an incredible defender and could have another Gold Glove in his future.

All of that being said, what has really set Manny apart over the last year or so has been what he’s done in the shift. Against left-handed pull hitters, almost exclusively, the Padres infielders shift to the right.

Well, that’s not a great description of what happens. A better description is that Manny Machado moves from third base to right field. Like this:

Ever see a guy hit the ball through a shift that’s built to stop him? Sure you have! Eric Hosmer gets half of his hits this way. The Machado-in-RF shift doesn’t allow that to happen. Get a ball through the infield and he uses his cannon arm to throw you out at first base.

Not only do I have no complaints about his defense, Machado’s willingness to move from the left side of the infield to the right side of the outfield and then excel at it says a lot about who he is as a person and as a very skilled baseball player. Almost by himself, he has added a dimension to the Padres defense that most teams could only dream about.

Offense

Here’s where the conversation is going to take something of a serious turn. After last night’s loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks, you’re probably wondering why the San Diego offense can’t seem to consistently produce at the level they did against the Dodgers. One reason? Manny Machado is hitting .333 against the Dodgers this year and well below .300 against everyone else (.167 vs. AZ and .000 vs MIL, before you ask).

The most simplified way to describe Machado’s offense is that it was mostly amazing with the Orioles (and Dodgers), was just okay in his first year with the Padres, and then he went back to Orioles Manny during the shortened 2020 season.

After the 2019 season (.256/.334/.462), Manny himself said that it was a bad season for him and he needed to get better. He knew the Padres didn’t sign him to the largest contract in team history to be a 3 WAR player, they signed him to that contract heading into his late-20s thinking they would get a handful of 6 WAR seasons before he regressed.

So far, the 2021 season (.242/.346/.363) has looked more like the 2019 season than the 2020 season (.304/.370/.580). That being said, Manny tends to be a streaky hitter who strikes fear into the heart of opposing pitchers when he’s on. The question is when he’ll turn on this year and how long he’ll stay hot. If you want to know why the offense isn’t performing as well as last season, Manny is a part of that conversation. Because, so far, he’s not providing the bat that the Padres need.

Leadership

Let’s bring it back around and end on a positive note. I am an unabashed Manny Machado fan. I love his personality, I love his style, and I love his game. Maybe most of all, I love that he has fully embraced his role as the leader of this team.

It’s one of those things that you would miss if you were looking at a box score instead of watching the games, but Manny seems to take on a little bit more of the team leader role every year. That may even be underselling the speed of it, because it also seems like he took a big step forward this year.

Just a couple of quick stories from early on in this season, some of which have already been told in this space.

One, Manny Machado creating a game-tying run in the 9th inning against the Dodgers while battling back spasms. Getting on base (walk), somehow stealing second through the pain, and finding his way on third base (wild pitch) before coming home to tie things up. It’s just the type of thing that leaders do in the exact spot the leaders do it, in a huge game against the team’s biggest rival. It was very much a “lead by doing” moment.

Two, after a solid start by Ryan Weathers (5.2 IP), Austin Adams came in to close the door on the 6th inning and couldn’t find his control. The Padres were trying hard to hold on to a 2-0 lead, but Adams walked the first batter he saw on four pitches (Turner) and hit the next guy (Smith). He looked lost and the bullpen couldn’t get someone warmed up quickly enough to pull him. Plus, there’s that whole three-batter rule. He had to get the next guy out or runs were probably coming in.

In a situation that probably called for a pitching coach or manager or catcher to come out and calm down the pitcher, everyone turned to Manny. He had done this a number of times in his two seasons in San Diego, and did it again here. He called a little meeting on the mound with the infielders and pitcher, but Machado was the only one talking.

And, somehow, Manny fixed Austin Adams. Suddenly, the control was back and he struck out Max Muncy to end the inning.

This is why I don’t want to talk about his money. Machado brings so much value to this team outside of his glove and bat that the conversation of whether the signing was a good one gets convoluted very quickly, although the answer should be a pretty quick yes.

If the Padres are going anywhere in the next few seasons, if they are a true championship contender, they are going to need a veteran leader who is willing to change positions whenever asked and fight through back spasms to create runs whenever needed and calm down pitchers in clutch moments when they can’t calm themselves down.

I’m pretty confident that Manny will start hitting like he did last season and be a better player than he was in 2019, but even if not, I’m happy he’s here. He’s found ways to be a hugely positive force on the team outside of just playing baseball.