The Latest Breaking News from Peter Seidler

PEORIA, Ariz. — Remember that Manny Machado opt-out clause, the fly in the Padres' ointment — pterodactyl-sized to many — that threatened to loom over the clubhouse and season like a dark, angry wall cloud?

LOS ANGELES — Manny Machado's locker in the San Diego Padres' spring training clubhouse is prime real estate: at the main entrance, next to the three-foot tall speaker pumping the music into the room. Friday morning, hours before their Cactus League opener, it was tuned to laidback oldies.

Padres chairman Peter Seidler spoke with a childlike enthusiasm about his interactions with fans, especially children, during the postseason.

The Padres were a surprise entrant in the pursuit of Aaron Judge. But is anything like that really a surprise anymore?

Padres President of Baseball Operations A.J. Preller and his staff are here to find out what is possible.

The Padres will spend to win. This has to be taken as a given by now.

Go big or go home.

SAN DIEGO — Jaime Jarrin has been a member of many thousands of baseball fans' families over parts of eight decades.

SAN DIEGO — The Padres can be a hard, frustrating follow. Far too often, I feel as though I'm binge-watching C-SPAN with pink eye.