Joey Bart had a great day at the plate on Tuesday, hitting a double and launching a home run. It's tempting to look at such a performance and think that it means something about his chances of earning the role of primary catcher in 2023. But doing so is unwise. Bart has dominated at the plate each and every year in major league camp, and so far that success hasn't translated to the MLB level. This is not to say that Bart can't or won't do well this season, but it is to say that Spring Training statistics are not a reliable indicator of whether or not a player will succeed in the big leagues.
Switching gears, Manny Machado's new deal with the Padres is discussed. Machado was believed to be one of the best fits for the SF Giants in free agency next winter if they're still looking to make a big splash, but now we can officially cross his name off the list. Machado and the Padres agreed to a new 11-year, $350 million deal. Machado would've had the right to opt out of 5/$150M after the 2023 season. On first glance, this looks like a potentially large overpay for Machado, who will turn 31 in July.
The Padres figure to give the Giants fits for the next couple of years, when Machado, Juan Soto, Fernando Tatis Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Yu Darvish, Joe Musgrove, and others will be under contract. But much beyond that, it's not hard to see things getting a little weird in San Diego, with Machado and Darvish signed into their 40s and Darvish already getting close to that number. Machado's deal may also take the Padres out of the running for Soto once he becomes a free agent in two years. In other NL West news, Dodgers shortstop Gavin Lux will miss the 2023 season after tearing his ACL in a spring game.
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The best daily San Francisco Giants podcast. Whether the Giants are winning championships or retooling for another title run, Locked On Giants host Ben Kaspick—a lifelong Giants fan and former contributor for RotoGraphs and Beyond the Box Score—breaks down every game, rumor, and transaction in a way that's data-driven and rational but also simple, passionate, and accessible to all.
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