Padres star Machado plans to opt out after season

Manny Machado says he plans to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract with the San Diego Padres after this season.

Machado signed a 10-year, $300 million deal with the Padres in February 2019, a deal that gives him the right to terminate the agreement after this season and become a free agent. The third baseman, who turns 31 in July, would forfeit $150 million from his current deal, which calls for a $30 million annual salary through 2028.

“Obviously the team knows where I stand, my situation with the opt-out coming,” Machado told reporters Friday at the Padres' spring-training camp in Peoria, Arizona. “I think I've expressed that I will be opting out after this year, but I think my focus is not about 2024. I think my focus is about 2023, what I can do to this ballclub, what I've done for this organization and what we're going to continue to do here. I think we've got something special here growing and I don't think anything's going to change.”

Machado's contract was a record for a free agent when he agreed to it and the second-largest in the major leagues behind Giancarlo Stanton's $325 million. But he is now tied for the 11th-highest after an offseason topped by AL MVP Aaron Judge's $360 million, nine-year contract to stay with the New York Yankees. The Angels' Mike Trout leads the major leagues at $426.5 million.

“Markets change,” Machado said. “From when I signed five years ago. It's changed tremendously. Things change and evolve. As a player who's about to opt out, it's pretty good to see.”

A six-time All-Star, Machado is coming off a season in which he finished second in the NL MVP voting. He batted .298 with 32 homers, 102 RBIs, a .366 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage.

His presence helped the Padres go 89-73 and reach the NL Championship Series before falling to Philadelphia.

Machado declined to comment on negotiations for a reworked deal.

“I'm just here to play baseball and continue to do what I've got to do,” Machado said. “I let my agent, front office and (general manager) A.J. (Preller) and (owner) Peter (Seidler) handle that.”

Padres manager Bob Melvin said that “I don't want to know” what it would be like to have Machado playing elsewhere.

“That provision's in his contract,” Melvin said. “It's in his right to opt out, but we've also shown a willingness to keep the important guys here.”

Rolen, McGriff reveal Hall cap on plaque decisions

Scott Rolen will have a St. Louis Cardinals cap on his Hall of Fame plaque and Fred McGriff will not have a team logo.

Rolen, a seven-time All-Star third baseman elected last month by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, played for Philadelphia (1996-2002), St. Louis (2002-07), Toronto (2008-09) and Cincinnati (2010-12).

“I believe this decision accurately represents a pivotal portion of my career based on our teams' successes in St. Louis,” Rolen said in a statement issued by the Hall of Friday. “I am grateful to Philadelphia, St. Louis, Toronto and Cincinnati for the opportunities given to me as a player, but more importantly, for how they embraced me and my family.”

McGriff, a five-time All-Star first baseman elected by the Contemporary Baseball Players Era Committee in December, played for Toronto (1986-90), San Diego (1991-93), Atlanta (1993-97), Tampa Bay (19982001 and 2004), the Chicago Cubs (2001-02) and the Dodgers (2003).

“In discussing my career with the Hall of Fame,” McGriff said in a statement, “we decided that with no logo on my plaque, I can equally represent these cities and the incredible fans in Toronto, where I got my start, Atlanta, where we won the World Series, and my hometown of Tampa Bay, as well as my time in San Diego.”

Both will be inducted into the Hall on July 23.

Catfish Hunter (1987), Tony La Russa (2014), Greg Maddux (2014), Roy Halladay (2019) and Mike Mussina (2019) all have caps with no logos. While Yogi Berra (1972) has no logo because the head is tilted on his plaque, it appears he's wearing New York Yankees pinstripes.

Rangers sign outfielder Grossman to one-year deal

Veteran switch-hitting outfielder Robbie Grossman signed a one-year contract with the Texas Rangers, who are unsettled in left field.

Grossman's deal could be worth as much as $5 million. His base salary will be $2 million and he could earn as much as $3 million more in incentives.

Grossman hit .209 with seven home runs and 45 RBIs over 129 games combined last season with Detroit and Atlanta, and hit .320 against left-handed pitchers. He drew walks in nearly 12% of his at-bats, among the best rates in the majors for players with at least 450 plate appearances.

The 33-year-old Grossman has a career .245 batting average with 80 homers and 366 RBIs in 1,011 games with Houston (201315), Minnesota (2016-18), Oakland (2019-20), Detroit (2021-22), and Atlanta. He has played left field in more than half of his games (565), with all of his big league games either in the outfield or as the designated hitter.

Choi defeated by Pirates as arbitration cases wind down

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat first baseman Ji-Man Choi in salary arbitration while Seattle outfielder

Teoscar Hernández and St. Louis pitcher Génesis Cabrera went to the last two hearings of the year.

Choi got a raise from $3.2 million to $4.65 million instead of his $5.4 million request in a decision by Jeanne Charles, Allen Ponak and Melinda Gordon. The 31-yearold hit .233 with 11 homers and 52 RBIs for Tampa Bay and made $3.2 million, then was traded to the Pirates in November for a minor leaguer.

Teams hold an 8-5 lead with six decisions to be issued today.

Hernández will set a record win or lose for highest salary awarded in arbitration, though there have been larger deals in negotiated agreements. He asked for a raise from $10.65 million to $16 million, and the Mariners argued for $14 million in a case heard by Mark Burstein, John Woods and Howard Edelman. The previous high for an arbitration award was $13.5 million by pitcher Gerrit Cole in his 2019 win over Houston and by pitcher Max Fried in his loss to Atlanta this year.

An All-Star in 2021, Hernández hit .267 with 25 home runs and 77 RBIs in 131 games last season for Toronto, then was traded to Seattle in November for right-hander reliever Erik Swanson and minor league lefty Adam Macko. Hernández, 30, is eligible for free agency after this year's World Series.

Cabrera asked for a raise from $719,200 to $1.15 million, and the Cardinals argued for $950,000.