"Manny Machado has every right to call Padres out" - Twins veteran defends $350,000,000 star's blunt comments on San Diego's situation

On Sunday, when the San Diego Padres stars gathered and addressed the media, third baseman Manny Machado didn't hold back in his tough assessment of the team's handling this offseason.

This comes after the Padres have barely made any moves this offseason while losing Jurickson Profar, Ha-Seong Kim and Tanner Scott in free agency. Add to that, the ownership struggle between late Padres owner Peter Seidler's widow Sheel and his two brothers Matt and John Seidler seemed to have affected their offseason plans.

"Are we disappointed we haven’t made any moves? Yeah, I think, as a team, we look at it, and we’re a little disappointed that we let some of the core guys go elsewhere," Machado told reporters. "But at the end of the day, we can’t control that."

During Monday's episode of "Baseball Today" podcast, former Minnesota Twins star Trevor Plouffe defended Machado's harsh words for the Padres. He started on a friendly note that Machado, who is on an 11-year, $350 million contract, can afford to take jibe.

"I mean, you have to have a guy to be able to do that, and you probably better have a long-term contract to do that. But it’s the truth, Chris. It’s the truth," Plouffe said (20:50 onwards). "I’ve been a defender of the Padres, saying I still think they have a very good roster and will be one of the best teams in the National League. I don’t think the ownership quarrel will be as big of a distraction as a lot of people think.

"They’ve already done a lot to hurt their chances and haven’t brought in much. But if they start going that way, I think Manny has every right to call them out. The organization probably made him promises about the team’s future when he signed long-term. A lot of guys committed to this project, and now it feels like the front office isn’t upholding their end of the bargain."

Trevor Plouffe signals a full-scale retreat from contention if Padres trade away Michael King and Dylan Cease

The only move the Padres have made so far this offseason is to bring back catcher Elias Diaz on a one-year, $3.5 million deal. Instead, the club is gathering spotlight for the possibility that they might trade away key starters like Michael King and Dylan Cease, who are in their final years of the contract.

According to Trevor Plouffe, if the Padres do trade them, it will signal a widespread rebuild. However, he won't want that.

"There is a scenario where if the Padres really wanted to become sellers, they have a lot to trade," Plouffe said.

"You have Suarez, Arraez, King, Cease—all these guys. They could reset quickly if they wanted to. I hope it doesn’t come to that because this team is so fun to watch. Whether you love them or hate-watch them, you’re still watching."

The Padres core is really bright but off-field challenges might hinder their chances of being competitive in 2025.