Put any thoughts of the San Diego Padres trading either of their franchise pillars to rest.
President of baseball operations A.J. Preller shot down any notion that the team will look to trade one or both of Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. this winter.
"Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. are Padres for life. We never think about trading them," Preller said during a Spanish interview with MLB broadcaster Mike Rodriguez.
Machado and Tatis make up a sizeable portion of the Padres' payroll, which ranked ninth in the majors this past year. Both stars own full no-trade clauses.
Machado, who joined San Diego as a free agent in 2019, is entering Year 5 of an 11-year, $350-million extension. He'll earn $35 million annually over the next seven seasons.
The 34-year-old saw his offensive production decline in 2026, as his .217/.303/.407 slash line was his worst since his rookie season. However, he still contributed solid defense at third base and hit 30 home runs for the eighth time in his decorated career.
Tatis, meanwhile, is locked up through 2034 on a 14-year, $340-million deal. His salary will go up to $25 million next year and will reach $36 million during the final six seasons of his contract.
Tatis continues to serve as the rock of San Diego's lineup. After a slow start to his season, the three-time All-Star had a monster second half and finished his year with an .828 OPS, 25 homers, 83 RBIs, and 38 steals over 159 games.
The small-market Padres have been among baseball's big spenders for much of this decade. However, this year's ownership change has led to speculation about the team's future spending habits and a possible decline in payroll.
Machado and Tatis are far from the only mega-deals on San Diego's books. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts is owed $175 million over the next seven years and also holds a no-trade clause. Yu Darvish and Jake Cronenworth are locked up on long-term deals through 2028 and 2030, respectively. The team may also lose right-hander Michael King this winter if he opts out.
The Padres have made five postseason appearances this decade, but are still searching for their first NL pennant since 1998. They're one of five active franchises that's never won a World Series.
The Padres won 91 games this season and swept the Chicago Cubs in the NL wild-card series before falling to the Milwaukee Brewers in the NLDS.
