San Diego Padres star Manny Machado recently spoke about the incident involving himself and Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts during the National League Division Series.

“The past is the past,” Machado said earlier this month.

Although Machado may have left the dugout drama in the past, the third baseman has not forgotten the outcome of the NLDS.

“Our division now is by far the best division in baseball,” Machado said to Bob Nightengale of USA Today. “Hands down. We’ve got four teams who could make the playoffs.

“The Dodgers are [bleeping] good, man. But we’re excited to take them down. There’s nothing better than having a championship team in your division that you can knock off.”

Most of the teams in the NL West have only gotten better this offseason. The San Francisco Giants signed their franchise shortstop, Willy Adames, and added a veteran pitcher in Justin Verlander.

The Arizona Diamondbacks added one of the top starters available on the free agent market in Corbin Burnes.

The World Series champion Dodgers have only strengthened their winning roster with pitching reinforcements, international phenoms, and infield/outfield depth.

Meanwhile, the Padres had been quiet for a majority of the offseason with payroll restrictions and an ugly ownership lawsuit taking precedence. The Friars also lost out on Roki Sasaki, but managed to sign Nick Pivetta to fortify their starting rotation.

Padres president of baseball operations A.J. Preller explained why a 93-win team had endured a long, cold winter.

“We’ve seen offseasons where we’ve been really aggressive and been able to line up on moves early in the offseason and other years, like last year, where it was later in the process,” Preller said. “… We’ve got a really good core and good foundation we like a lot, and we’ve got some needs as well.”

While the Padres may have kept their core intact, with stars such as Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr., and Xander Bogaerts, it remains uncertain whether San Diego will remain competitive in 2025. However, Machado’s remarks only prove the Padres are still hoping to take down the Dodgers in October.

It wouldn’t be surprising if there was a postseason rematch between the Dodgers and Padres in 2025.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images