One day in Peoria, Ariz., in the middle of mundane and relentless spring-training drills, Ty France decided to up the ante with one of the most confident and established players in Major League Baseball.
France, scooping up ground balls next to Manny Machado, leaned in.
"I told Manny, 'Hey, whoever makes more errors buys dinner,' " France, now with the Mariners, said at Dodger Stadium in advance of Tuesday's All-Star Game. "He said, 'Ty, I'm not saying this to be mean, but you can't afford where I eat.' I said, 'Even better, let's go.' "
The chuckle revealed how much France, a first-time All-Star, cherished his time with the Padres, despite all the things blocking his shot at hitting his way into baseball's big time.
France, one of the best first baseman in the game this breakout season, had a stop sign in front of him in the form of Eric Hosmer's $20 million annual contract. Machado, one of the best in the game, manned third. Jake Cronenworth, a budding All-Star, anchored second.
Add in the fact the National League lacked a designated hitter without any guarantee it would arrive and the roadblocks were complete.
"I understood the business side of it," France said. "It was such a great clubhouse and team. I loved every single one of those dudes in there. To have to leave them, that was the only hard part.
"Career-wise, this was the best situation for me. I'm very grateful the trade happened."
Know this: France was absolutely and uniquely beloved in the Padres' clubhouse and respected by a front office that, rightly or wrongly, felt handcuffed while filling other gaps during a playoff run in 2020.
When GM A.J. Preller uncorked trade-a-palooza, with 26 players bouncing like pinballs across six deals, France was swept up in regime change.
"Of all those guys at the tradeline, I remember Ty standing out," said Greg Garcia, France's former teammate who is now retired. "Everyone in the clubhouse was like, 'Oh man, that hurts.' "
The collective groan was two-fold.
Teammates were drawn to the smile and infectious personality of France, a young guy bold enough to absorb barbs from a $300 million player like Machado and firing it right back. They also dreaded the loss of a blossoming bat that consistently raked at every level on his climb to the big leagues.
The clubhouse believed in the future of France, even if the front office felt it could not untangle things. Nothing, though, cemented him in Padres' lore more than singular validation from Machado.
"Ty was the only guy that's ever done it, ever," Machado said of a young player going toe-to-toe with him verbally. "I loved that. He told me all the time, I'm just trying to push you to be better every single day. I love that about him. That's why we always got along really well.
"He got me on the side and said, 'Hey, I just want you to teach me. I look up to you and I see what you're doing, and I want to be just as good as you.' … That's just the type of person he is.
"Man, I miss that guy. He's awesome."
Earning praise of that stripe from that particular player in that particular way requires, well, a certain part of the male anatomy.
Cronenworth, another Padres' All-Star, laughed at Machado saying France represented a first. Though a late addition for injured Mike Trout of the Angels, France refuses to limit possibilities or conversations.
"It's a testament to who Ty is," Cronenworth said of France, who matched Machado defensively the day they bet. "Even with the player Manny is and how long he's been an elite player, it kind of shows who Ty is. It was a wrong that was righted, for him to get here. He's having an incredible season."
Did Cronenworth survive early tests from Machado?
"No way," he said, with a grin. "I was on the other side of the field. I tried to stay away from Manny."
France has made the most of his shot to play every day. He's hitting .308 with an .846 OPS, 11 home runs, 49 RBIs and a 2.2 WAR (wins above replacement) total that ranks No. 69 among everyone in baseball, according to FanGraphs.
Hosmer, the Padres' current first baseman, stands at .271, .709, six homers, 35 RBIs and an 0.3 WAR that stands 545th in the game.
"He should have made (the All-Star Game) from the get-go," Machado said. "Ty's been a hitter since he's been with us. Finally, it's being shown. It's freakin' awesome to see him doing what he's been doing."
Garcia argued the initial All-Star misfired on France seemed ludicrous.
"If he didn't make it, it would be a here-we-go-again thing," said Garcia, who worked out with the former San Diego State star in the offseason as both chased new jobs in new cities. "He hasn't had the easiest road to where he's at. He's been a later-round pick (34th round). At every level, he's had to do more than other guys.
"He was probably sitting there like, 'Man, what do I gotta do?' He's in an elite group now. Nobody can take this away from him."
The Machado story, Garcia said, underscored France's uncommon calm and confidence.
"To give it right back to Manny, that's a future Hall of Famer," he said. "Most young guys would keep their mouth shut and take it. He has that confidence about him.
"He always has a smile on his face. All those pictures of him blowing bubbles, he's like a Little Leaguer out there. That's hard to do, treating it like that at the big-league level with all the pressure."
Keeping shoulders square in a game that revels in un-squaring them allowed France to churn forward.
"I think I've always played with a chip on my shoulder," said France, whose Mariners are baseball's hottest team with a 14-game winning streak. "I think my entire baseball career, I've kind of been overlooked. Just kind of used that as fuel to get to where I am today.
"It's all paid off."
Doubt him? France is willing to bet on it.
