FT35

Yep. What this off-season has done so far has effectively shaved about $100M off the asking price of top free agents. With Giancarlo Stanton deal at $325M...you now have a player of Manny Machado's caliber (better all-around player imo) not able to get offers in the $225M range (obviously only using numbers that have been rumored). I think the owners saw Stanton's number and thought...oh...we need to put an end to this before the likes of Harper and Machado enter the market asking for a half-billion dollars. They're trying to stop the inflation.

Thought this same thing. But I still think the longer this drags on it gives a little more clarity to the Jay/Alonso signings. It might not have been done to JUST sway Manny, but to scare away other teams as well. It's somewhat of a foregone conclusion now that the White Sox have made the strongest pitch and have paved the way for Manny to play with his people. Other teams might not bother trying to land him because they know the Sox will likely get a chance to beat it--and likely will. A lot of work done to not just land this guy but to do so in a market that a (supposed) $175M "low-ball" offer would paralyze other teams from bidding higher. Rumors of that offer have made others re-evaluate the true "values" of other free agents. Ironic...a bubble-bursting low-ball offer that sent out shock waves that prompted public statements from his agent--assuming other teams would be drawn into the mix--and even IF that's ACTUALLY happened, no one has assembled the "pen-to-paper" offer that would beat ours yet?!? The public side of this story has been so cryptic. I'd love to see a truth documentary script when this is over...

A Stanton, Harper, Judge OF?? If not the best of all time, it’d certainly be the most expensive.

Who knows if this is an attempt to clear $ for Harper, but if it is, I still have to question the flip side... why a team would rather put THAT much $ into trading for Heyward, when they could just put it towards signing Harper.

Well that’s my point, they want the fast games, but the fast games are pitcher’s duels and lack extensive offense.

Double edged sword. Everyone wants to see more offense but great offense is where the extra time factors in. Long innings, pitching changes etc... Great pitching is where the time is saved--but no one wants to watch pitching duels anymore. Check out Buehrle's game times. His efficiency model--get it, throw it, induce weak contact that led to quick 1-2-3 innings. In other words...FAST = the new boring to baseball viewers. SLOW means giving the people more of what they want...offense. SMH.

Keep doing what you do, man. You bring a lot to us all and no one with any sense doubts it. This crap is particularly hard to pin down. It’s not like we’re signing Adam LaRoche—it’s a franchise face changing/MLB landscape changing off season and it’s more than something 1 person can predict. Looking forward to the time you can participate as a fan again! More fun that way anyway!

Well at least HE’S not on SoxTalk.

Yep. Love Garfein. He loves the Sox and you can tell. I’d love to know if he was on SoxTalk—think it’d be great.

Right but the lead up to it was talking about where he’ll sign and what colors he’ll be wearing. It’s totally a rumor like the rest of it, but maybe one to watch to see what they mean.

Exactly what I was thinking. He knows he’s got “stupid money” on the brink, but knows Manny will not come close. Only thing is, I think it will drive up Machado’s price if Harper signs first.

Movement on Bryce soon?? https://www.nbcsports.com/philadelphia/phillies/does-message-mean-bryce-harper-will-announce-tuesday

In fairness...the rumors are out of control right now. They could have discussed--as an organization--to be careful with what they say to people outside the organization. The prepared quotes and winded "say nothing" responses...those could be more common now because their transparency that started this all off went "wild fire" mode. You're not hearing the same optimism that we heard earlier because you're not hearing ANYTHING of substance. Also, Hahn coming out with his statements are likely a mission of his to tone down the expectations. There was a time not long ago where the majority of his fan base was assuming we were getting Machado, Harper, Ottavino, Kimbrel, and Keuchel...plus anyone else available. Wild Fire.

I think this is a great take, but true whether they get him or not. If they DON'T get Manny, they will make 3-4 moves. They will spend to get a 3B, SP, and maybe a CF. If they sign Manny, they make 2-3 more moves (SP, CF, +). Either way, they still need a SP...how much money they have to fill that spot will determine whether they shell it out to Manny. Same thing with CF.

I kinda got burned a little for suggesting this on Friday... The problem is, all the insiders are team insiders. They know the White Sox and do great work scooping Sox info. But just as big of a piece to this is Machado’s camp. There just aren’t many leaks in that side because—ultimately—it’s going to come down to Manny. Unless he personally leaks info, every insider for every involved team, can only be 50% correct at best. The other 50 is Manny and only he can complete the puzzle. Also—the agent war doesn’t help. They’re playing big time games as well and that’s a whole other layer of unpredictability in this.

Yep. It’s starting to sound less like baseball and more like an episode of the bachelor...only a matter of time till Hahn gives Alonso his first White Sox assignment: delivering (to Manny) a folded up note containing the key to his fantasy suite...

This is beautiful. Thank you.

Still gotta hit the ball, but I really like what our stadium potentially does for his power numbers too.

Is it just me or has LA inquired about Fulmer in the past? Keep getting this feeling like he's been on their radar.

Peer reviewed journal...lol! I like it!

I know, I know...just seems like everyone has stolen it—doesn’t make me happy to see it anymore because of all the false over-uses...

Guys...we’re freaking out about eyeballs...do we know how crazy that sounds?! And they’ve been so overused at this point...people are just using them to get a rise out of people because for some reason it works?! There’s never a time when White Sox baseball fans’ eyeballs should out-trend LASIK. The ratio is now 900 eyeballs to 1 legit piece of info. And yet we still freak out as if it means something! 900:1. We’re getting close to Tim Anderson’s K/BB ratio and only we have the power to stop it. Time to get back to real-world reality. Let scrolling breaking news banners be the new eyeballs—when something is ACTUALLY HAPPENING!

Ha! True...I have noticed that they always seem to come in low. How a lineup with Manny, Jimenez and Jay would be calculate lower WAR than a lineup with Davidson, Engle and Delmonico I'll never know. Those would be the 3 most notable changes.

No way. They have met, planned, rehearsed every team representative on what to say. They know it's coming and they have their talk tracks all set. The Machado-related questions are already getting old before the first one is officially asked. There will be a groan at the FIRST question asked because really at that point the QA session will derail to nothing useful. Case in point, the Jon Jay press conference...the guy got annoyed at the FIRST question with a Machado-like flavor. Like bmags said...the trap is set. The ones who will be trapped will be the ones who ASK, not the FO guys...they are trained to diffuse the public through calculated answers that will sound informative but say absolutely nothing. What should we ask instead? Not sure! Maybe things like "hey, has Moncada figured out how to hit right-handed yet?" Ask them a question they haven't prepared an EXACT beat around the bush answer to. Unless you don't mind not getting your question answered!

In all honesty, the dumbest SoxFest questions to ask would be Machado-related questions because they are not going to be truly answered. AND EVERYONE knows this. However...you watch...the only questions people will try to ask will be Machado-related...assuming THEY are actually going to get worthwhile info from our FO guys. They'll bring their accounts of these encounters back here and discuss how the questions were just given a blanket, planned response and how they really didn't say anything. Humans....SMH.