"We've fallen short a few times" - Manny Machado opens up about relationship with Padres GM A.J. Preller

Signing a ten-year, $300 million deal to join the San Diego Padres in February of 2019, which was an MLB record at the time, third baseman Manny Machado has proven to be well worth the investment.

In his time at Petco Park so far, Machado has earned three All-Star selections, two All-MLB first team selections, one All-MLB second team selection and two Silver Slugger awards.

A large part of his joy in San Diego, along with the rapport he has with his teammates, is the great relationship he shares with GM A.J. Preller. Speaking to insider Marty Caswell on Friday, Machado shed some light on the bond he shares with Preller and how he's enjoyed seeing his plans for the club take shape.

"From day one, we sat down and spoke about the future, and what I mean to this ballclub," Machado said (Timestamp: 0:45) "Just building off that relationship, we've come a long way. It's been a two-way street, he listens to me, and vice versa.

"It's been awesome to see both of us grow, be a part of his vision he saw for this organization, and see it come to life. Obviously, we've fallen short a fiew times, but we've come a long way. It's been pretty awesome to see," Machado added.

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Manny Machado explains how he and A.J. Preller are constantly looking for ways to improve the team

In the same conversation, Manny Machado also talks about his and A.J. Preller's shared desire to continue improving the team, with the ultimate goal of bringing San Diego its first World Series title.

Machado went on to explain how he and Preller go about trying to improve the squad every season.

"The key is knowing what this team is," Machado said. "At the end of the day, I think he puts the trust in me to go out there and perform, play at the highest level, and be able to carry this team for a long period of time.

"After that, it's just seeing who fits and who doesn't. It's been a healthy relationship between both of us, where we just go back and forth on what we can do to make this team better every single year, you know, whether it's pitching, hitting, offense, analytics, every year is different, and he's always been open to making this team as good as it can every single year," Machado added

San Diego Padres Introduce Manny Machado - Source: Getty

Batting .292 with 17 home runs and 56 RBIs, Manny Machado has been at his reliable best yet again this year, both at the plate and in defense. Macahdo earned his seventh All-Star selection as a result.