The San Diego Padres have had a deeply pitiful offseason. They lost Tanner Scott, Jurickson Profar, Ha-seong Kim, and Kyle Higashioka, couldn't entice Roki Sasaki to come to San Diego, have made just one major league signing of veteran catcher Elias Díaz, and they're only at what feels like just the beginning of a complicated legal battle for the team's ownership.
Their front office was inactive before Sheel Seidler, wife of the late Peter Seidler, officially sued her brothers-in-law Matthew and Robert, but that news certainly hasn't helped them if the plan was just to lie in wait. When Sasaki signed with the Dodgers, he cited the stability of the organization as a major plus, and Profar referenced the ownership battle when discussing his decision to sign with the Braves out of free agency.
But, over the weekend, the Padres held their annual FanFest and pretended like nothing weird was going on. Manny Machado, a guy known for not mincing his words, unsurprisingly had a lot to say. He admitted to being disappointed that the Padres hadn't done more during the offseason but, when asked about Sasaki, seemed completely unwilling to acknowledge problems in the organization.
Of the Sasaki chase, he said he didn't think the ownership messiness factored into Sasaki decision-making. Instead, he said, "I think he had his mind set already on where he was going. That's just my opinion."
Manny Machado said he doesn’t think the Padres’ ownership situation affected the team’s chances of signing Roki Sasaki. “I think he had his mind set already on where he was going,” Machado said. “That’s just my opinion.”
— Dennis Lin (@dennistlin) February 1, 2025
Manny Machado had a characteristically hostile response to Roki Sasaki's signing with Dodgers
Machado has a right to be salty about Sasaki choosing the Dodgers, and it's been clear from the outset that their established relationship with him and the sheer amount of star power they have on the roster would entice him. However, if Machado doesn't think the ownership issues are repelling free agents from San Diego, it's either naive wishful thinking or sheer cluelessness.
Profar said the quiet part out loud when he admitted that the ownership trouble repelled him from San Diego, even though his decision-making came down to the Braves and the Padres. Atlanta got him for a contract San Diego easily could've matched if not exceeded, but who wants to play for a team whose future is so uncertain?
It's not as though Machado would've said anything else, though. The Padres couldn't have one of their biggest stars openly discussing discord within the team at a fan-centric festival. However, it's still transparent, and the Padres definitely seems more dire than any of them are willing to admit.