Roughneck

Crap, you guys. Just heard the big dudes on either side of Machado are eating chili dogs and now the whole plane smells of it. Manny does not look pleased. I will keep you updated.

My friend just saw Machado trying to board a plane to Chicago. It was Southwest, and he didn't pay for priority boarding. He was last on the flight, and reportedly had to sit in a middle seat between two large people. Looked pissed. Not sure if that will impact him signing with the Sox.

I was with you until the last line. You're talking about the Sox signing two different guys to contracts larger than any which has ever been signed, and in the same offseason. That is far beyond anything any team has ever done.

Yeah. If you can get Ottavino for that, you do it. And assuming he doesn't blow up, they could always trade him at the deadline if 2019 is worse than expected and they aren't yet respectable.

Yep. The Nats getting back into the bidding is huge. Harper is comfortable there and could easily return and save face. And they might be the only team Harper would be willing to take a crazy contract like 1 year/$50 mil from. That would allow the Nats to take one last run at it with this core and let Harper hit the market again in a year when the conditions are more favorable for him. It would be risky as hell, but if he had his mind set on $400 mil and it's not there, maybe it happens.

Just my opinion, but I think any massive contract is going to have player opt-outs after the first 3-4 years. That's just the way the market has gone of late. Unless the market has changed for these players, as people have speculated in the last day based on Levine's 7 years tweet and the rumored offer to Machado under $250m, I'm seeing both guys getting $300+ and 10 years, with opt-outs at 4. I could surely be wrong, but I would be shocked if there are no opt-outs in either deal.

I honestly don't think the Sox signing Machado first would hurt the market for Harper. The Sox have way more money to spend than any other team, and *could* easily sign both players. So even if the Sox nab Machado and tell Harper the deal is off the table, teams would still think the Sox are able to sign Harper. Hahn would just make vague comments like "we're looking at all ways to improve the team" and would never come out and say the Harper offer was pulled (I don't think he's even allowed to). I really don't think either player is all that concerned about losing the Sox as leverage.

We could still envision it! I agree that it's very unlikely, but like I have said before, one or both of those guys will opt out in 3-4 years. The only way the Sox payroll is F'd when they have to pay the kids is if both of these guys turn into Heywards. I'm sure there are some discussions in the organization of signing both guys. But yeah, that's probably not happening.

For once, I want someone to call me "sir" without adding "you're making a scene." True story - that song came on the radio while I was watching in elation as the Sox celebrated on the field in Boston in 2005. Every time I hear it, I think of El Duque's mastery and "the point."

I read this originally as "last seven relievers may go to the White Sox." That would have really been something.

I think everyone assumed the contract would be over $300 mil in general; probably closer to 10 years with early opt-outs for Machado. Like I said, the Sox were seen as the team with the deep pockets which couldn't promise the allure of NY or the win-now possibilities of NY or PHI. So I don't see how Machado's camp leaking that the Sox started the bidding at 7/240 would get NYY or PHI to bid up, because I think they were there or higher to begin with, unless all reports were way off on his value. Even then, 8/275 is still a ways from $300. And why would Manny want to forgo the extra 2 years and hit free agency at age 34? I don't think these rumored numbers get any team in that range to bid up to 10 years or $300m, but I guess we'll see. I agree. But I think the "closer to $200 than $300" line is pure BS. I think he will get over $300 million, and if the Sox did come in at $250, they would be ignored. I think the Yankees are bidding the least of these three teams, and I wouldn't be surprised if they were at or above $250 themselves.

Looks like four sources confirmed that there was an offer, but he didn't say that all of them confirmed a price closer $200m than $300m. He just said it was "believed to be" and didn't say how many of the sources believed it to be such. So it could be that only one of the confirming sources gave him the seemingly bogus numbers.

If Machado's camp is passing around an offer of $250 mil or less, they have failed miserably or everybody has been WAY off on this whole thing. Either that or he showed up to the interviews wreaking of alcohol and having gained 30 pounds. Pretty much everybody had Machado signing at or above $300 mil. I don't think teams are going to hear of an offer from the Sox for $250m, with the Sox supposedly being the deep pockets who have no other allure to Machado, and decide to bid up to $300m for him. Also, I would imagine that any preliminary offers the Phillies or Yankees put out would be at $250m or higher, so they'd probably call Machado's bluff and say "why take the same money to have a worse chance of winning?"

Who's speculating? Nightengale, me, or both? I am speculating and don't pretend to have inside info, but I fully believe that if the Sox made an offer to Machado for less than $250 mil, his agent would no longer be returning their calls.

Why would Machado's camp want teams to think the Sox made a crap offer? This is coming from the Sox. Their ideal situation: This report comes out. Machado: "Chicago offered me $320 mil. Get to up to $300 and I'll take less for to play for you" Yankees: LOL. They're offering way less. You'll take our $250 mil and like it" Machado *signs with Sox for $320* Let's hope it works!

And... that lets me know this is a controlled leak from the Sox to dampen the other teams' offers. Even knowing they didn't come out with their best offer first, there's no way they offered him under $250 million unless it was for 5 years. That gets the door slammed in their faces. Manny will get over $300 mil and everybody knows it. This is an attempt to throw off other bidders and make them call the bluff of Machado's camp when they say "Sox are offering $300+ and we're signing with them unless you jump way up."

Yeah. When he stunned the duck, he knelt over it and yelled in its face.

You don't know that for sure. I've long suspected they were the same person.

Nobody kicks out of the stunner.

If we have that lineup, we can live with whatever Engel can give us on offense. And frankly, with Harper and Eloy on either side of him, we'd need someone that good defensively in CF.

Dave obviously roots for the Sox, but he's no blind homer. In the past, he was very vocal against Reinsdorf, which is why I'm surprised he is still so connected. I think he has a good reason to be confident.

Nicky Delmonico is our Dwyane Wade. Nobody will ever wear *looks up number to be sure* #30 again on the South Side.

Sox have "official" offer out to Manny. Sox are "very confident" with their offer to Harper. Both players played with and are close with Nicky Delmonico . All is proceeding as planned. We are becoming the Miami Heat. Big 2.25 coming to the South Side. World domination on deck.

Hopefully. Been walking around the office at half mast all day. It's time to let 'er fly.

Yeah, I think we don't know what constitutes are formal or official contract offer. Clearly the Sox are talking about money with both of these guys. Maybe they don't "officially" offer a contract until they have hammered out all the details, and it's basically take-it-or-leave-it from there? As for the 7 year thing, the report was that the Sox were absolutely set against it (and I don't believe that report). But we don't know if their offer to Machado is more than 7 years, assuming that we have actually offered him now.