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.Teammates greeted Machado as they walked by his space. Ha-Seong Kim gave him a hug. Xander Boegarts extended a hand. Machado switched between English and Spanish, depending on the teammate. He was lively. He was vibing.The 2023 Padres are perhaps the most talented — and definitely the most expensive — team in franchise history. The roster brims with stars acquired via trade and free agency over the past four years. Thick World Series expectations hover for the small-market entity punching above its weight.In the middle of the galaxy is Machado, the uber-talented third baseman who has evolved into the club’s unquestioned leader — a role he acknowledged he’s had to grow into since arriving after a rent-a-player stint with the Dodgers.“It’s about being yourself,” he said. “I think being free, just opening up a little bit.”Machado, 30, wasn’t that person in his four months with the Dodgers in 2018. Los Angeles acquired him at the trade
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