ChiSox59

FIFY

He just got non-tendered by the team that knows him best, has only 1 catcher on their 40 man, and no great internal options, because McCann was expected to get a little over $3M in arb. I agree that $2.5M isn't alot of money, but its just a bad choice.

2%? You must expect the Sox to spend a lot of money this offseason! We could sign Harper and Machado and still be under $125M payroll.

At $2.5M? Why not just give a couple dudes minor league deals to Duke it out for the back up role if we’re talking about just a month or two stopgap. McCann is the backup next season.

I hate to admit it, but this seems like a move that's a clear notch in the W column for those that want to either stand pat, or try for Harper/Machado, but not much else. Sure, we having Wellington who has the capability to an above average regular at least offensively, so improving at catcher wasn't a giant priority, but when you have a guy like Grandal out on the FA market, its a bit disappointing. McCann was pretty much at the bottom of my wishlist of the catcher FAs. And while $2.5M isn't a huge sum, its enough that they clearly intend to have him on the roster. I would have just kept Kevan Smith if this was the plan.

Haha, damn autocorrect. FRAMER!

$15M AAV for an elite framer and high OBP catcher when we have nothing committed long term isn’t a lot IMO. I also think we’d potentially be getting him at a value due to his strange issues in the playoffs. But that ship appears to have sailed.

Meh. Was hoping for Grandal.

But the improvement to 80 wins was worthless though, right?

As I've said all along, MM is going to whom pays him the most. I do think there is some risk there though if mentally he is married to SS. He's the type that might let something like that bug him, but thats up to the team that is signing him making sure he is fully on board for playing 3B and buying into that.

Lol, one player that impacts at most 20% of the games is your reasoning? Nola is a stud, and I agree we don't have a SP that has put up those kind of numbers. He's also probably going to be a free agent a season after the Phillies actually get good again.

NM.

The only reason the Phillies are further along in their rebuild than the Sox is that they've done the exact thing that the you so adamantly campaign against. The Sox young talent is deeper and more impressive than Philly. The only difference is they have more established major leaguers, because they've been willing to spend money to supplement their young team.

If the Sox land Machado/Harper, I am pretty convinced that both of those guys will be FAs again in 3-5 years. Hopefully 5, but an opt out after 3 may be necessary. Having too many many good players is a good thing, anyway. I am not worried about. Only way this goes bad is if Harper and MM both sign with the Sox, both completely fall off a cliff, and never opt out. But I think we'll see a heavily frontloaded contract no matter where they sign that gives the player some long-term security in case of disaster, but also keeps the player motivated to get another quarter-billion dollar or more deal again in their early 30s. That is important for both sides.

And payrolls in the $150-170M range will be second tier by that point. The Sox can afford to pay 2 all star caliber players in their prime $90M from 2019-2023.

I think this is just not true. Before the rebuild, the Sox were consistently in the second tier of team spending after the Red Sox and Yankees. In the last few seasons, the Angels, Dodgers, and Cubs payrolls have skyrocketed. From 2006-2013, the Sox average payroll was $111M. This ranked 8th in the MLB, but of those 7 teams ahead of them, only two were above $130M. Most were right around the Sox. Prior to tearing things down, the Sox consistently operated as a large market team. There is no reason to believe that once they're done rebuilding, that they won't return to that. Our owner is now in his 80s and is going to want to build a winner before he dies. I think the Sox at the very least return to payroll in the $130-$140M range in 2020-2025, and perhaps even higher. With virtually nothing on the payroll after 2019, the Sox can most definitely afford to bring in both Harper and Machado. Now whether or not they can actually get them both to sign on the dotted line is a different story.

I think Machado's preference is to play SS. He wants to play SS. I don't think the Sox will sign him if he is dead set on SS, and isn't fully on board to play 3B. He is an average SS, and a gold glove quality 3B. I do think he eventually agrees to play 3B, unless he signs with the Yankees. They have a need at SS for 2019 with Didi perhaps out until August, and then DiDi is a FA. I've been pretty outspoken here about preferring Machado to Harper. He is a much better fit, assuming he is willing to play 3B and won't pout about it. But I honestly think Machado is a Yankee, UNLESS......the Sox sign Harper, remain in the Machado race, and the Yankees still refuse to give a long-term contract. I do think we could see some sort of unique contract with the Yankees with super high AAV in the first 3-4 year, and then a series of low AAV player options. Manny would leave money on the table, but he could get something like $180-200M over a 4 year span with the Yankees, and then explore FA again, Most in the know think he wants to be a Yankee,

Every post in on this board eventually devolves into CubsTalk. Its brutal.

Let's never make improvements and be bad forever! - The Balta Way

It was Dan Odowds crazy suggestion. Suppose it’s possible if Machado really wants NY and the Yankees say they need a test run, but he’d be leaving an awful lot of money on the table. I don’t see it.

Unless you told him you’re willing to pay over $300M for Machado as well, and that you won’t stop there. ??‍♂️

I don't think teams will ever agree to deadlines though. They also reap the benefits of slow playing the FA market.

OH, I see! That clears it right up.

ITs always been 5, but he did make some cryptic post a few weeks ago about potentially giving up 34.

Please do