What would it take - Machado/Harper

[he gone.]

Let me start this off with - I am just posting this because we are all currently still in the dreaming process where everybody we acquired turns into everyday players that make the ASG. Moncada is Cano and Kopech is Sale and Jimenez is Stanton and Robert is a stud, etc.

I know it's very likely that some of these guys turn into Byron Buxton and some turn into Carson Fulmer. But while dreaming...

 

What would it take to get a Harper or Machado - and I'm not talking contract $$ wise. That's $400-500mm. And who would you prefer and why?

 

The Sox have never made a commitment bigger than Abreu, so the chances of giving a contract 8X that amount? I'd think it's a moonshot. But Hahn did mention probably having to supplement via FA moving forward as the next step in the plan...

 

So for me, I'd think it'd have to be something like this:

 

- Sox prospects all are hitting on their ceilings - AKA Moncada, Robert, Rutherford, etc. etc. etc. all are living up to their lofty expectations kind of like the Cubs where things really came into place a year early. So next year 2018 those guys come up and produce and we finish near .500

- I think season ticket plans and prices would have to be locked in and up crazy amount

- I think that JReinsdorf would have to be committed to selling the team at a peak. Acquiring a superstar, having a team that is winning like crazy, in the middle of a Chicago baseball renaissance, and then cashing out

 

To answer my other question - I'd rather have Machado. Give me a SS/3B with defense over OF.

I'd also put the percentage of this at 5-10% tops. Yankees will nab one of the guys and then the pirahnas of the Cubs, Giants, BoSox, Dodgers, Phillies will swarm on the other.

The only way I see getting it done is something creative with a opt-out. Like 7 years, $275mm but front loading the first 3 years at say like $50mm and then the opt out at age 29. You get Machado in his prime years when the team has its best window to compete and then he cashes in on his next deal.

 

Again - this is my dreaming phase now - reality hits when Moncada is striking out at 33% and cant hit a lefty.

[Bananarchy]

No shot for Harper.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Sox-35th

[Soxnfins]

Harper isn't coming here unless we somehow offer him 10/$450M or something absurd like that. Machado I think we may have a decent shot at. At least more so than Harper. I'd prefer Harper over Machado, but I would gladly take one of the two. Can't be upset with any of them.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Soxnfins

[jenksycat]

No shot for Harper.

 

Yeah no chance. Won't match best offers and no player wants to come to the Sox for any reason other than cash.

 

My hope is (obviously assuming we actually have a good young team) we get creative with Machado and do a massive short term deal

[RockRaines]

$$$$$$ and we are going to have a s***load of it.

[hi8is]

$$$$$$ and we are going to have a s***load of it.

+63,486 ninja power up points

[iamshack]

$$$$$$ and we are going to have a s***load of it.

And I think people need to stop and think about what they are saying when they say "No FA like that is going to want to come to the Sox."

 

As someone aptly said yesterday, "This is not your Father's White Sox organization."

 

If enough of these guys pan out, and we've got a really talented young team on the field, I will ask the question:

 

Why would Bryce Harper NOT want to come to the White Sox?

[thxfrthmmrs]

And I think people need to stop and think about what they are saying when they say "No FA like that is going to want to come to the Sox."

 

As someone aptly said yesterday, "This is not your Father's White Sox organization."

 

If enough of these guys pan out, and we've got a really talented young team on the field, I will ask the question:

 

Why would Bryce Harper NOT want to come to the White Sox?

 

Exactly. The culture has changed with this rebuild. If enough of our guys pan out, the core we have will be extremely attractive to future FA's.

[soxfan49]

12/360 for MM

[TaylorStSox]

To convince then to actually come play on the Southside? I'm guessing 3/4 of a billion dollars.

[Dick Allen]

Machado's OPS is actually .008 lower than Todd Frazier's this year.

[hogan873]

Both of these guys would require a long contract, like 8+ years. I don't think the money per year would be an issue for the Sox, but the years might. However, as others have posted, this is a different team being constructed. The culture has changed, and if things work out I could possibly see the Sox signing one of these guys for 10 years.

[harfman77]

And I think people need to stop and think about what they are saying when they say "No FA like that is going to want to come to the Sox."

 

As someone aptly said yesterday, "This is not your Father's White Sox organization."

 

If enough of these guys pan out, and we've got a really talented young team on the field, I will ask the question:

 

Why would Bryce Harper NOT want to come to the White Sox?

 

I would love to land a guy like that, but can't see any major superstars ever coming to the Sox. They lose too much money on endorsements by playing in the shadows and not getting the recognition they deserve. Take Sale for instance, one of the top two or three pitchers in baseball and he has to go to Boston to get people to take notice of how good he really is.

 

I think it is much more likely the Sox acquire someone like Stanton that the Marlins don't want to pay anymore, has superstar upside and is locked in long term. Stanton to the Phillies speculation has made it sound like a Stanton trade would be a salary dump. The 10 years and $285M left on the deal (plus an option with a $10M buyout) would get the Sox a generational talent with a much more realistic pricetag than what Harper is going to command.

[GreatScott82]

Harper will likely get the biggest contract in MLB history. Machado is a pretty darn good 2nd option though. Its hard to project $$ for that 2019 FA class, but i would assume 10 years/ $300 million wouldn't be too far off for Machado. I can easily see BH getting a half billion dollars.

[steveno89]

12/360 for MM

 

Sox will look into signing a guy like Harper/Machado, but I don't know if it would be in the club's best interest at this point.

 

The bidding could easily get to an insane level, both in terms of years and salary.

[iamshack]

I would love to land a guy like that, but can't see any major superstars ever coming to the Sox. They lose too much money on endorsements by playing in the shadows and not getting the recognition they deserve. Take Sale for instance, one of the top two or three pitchers in baseball and he has to go to Boston to get people to take notice of how good he really is.

 

I think it is much more likely the Sox acquire someone like Stanton that the Marlins don't want to pay anymore, has superstar upside and is locked in long term. Stanton to the Phillies speculation has made it sound like a Stanton trade would be a salary dump. The 10 years and $285M left on the deal (plus an option with a $10M buyout) would get the Sox a generational talent with a much more realistic pricetag than what Harper is going to command.

Your assumptions are based on recent Sox teams. I think the point made earlier is that this has the chance to be very different than those teams.

[SonofaRoache]

I would love to land a guy like that, but can't see any major superstars ever coming to the Sox. They lose too much money on endorsements by playing in the shadows and not getting the recognition they deserve. Take Sale for instance, one of the top two or three pitchers in baseball and he has to go to Boston to get people to take notice of how good he really is.

 

I think it is much more likely the Sox acquire someone like Stanton that the Marlins don't want to pay anymore, has superstar upside and is locked in long term. Stanton to the Phillies speculation has made it sound like a Stanton trade would be a salary dump. The 10 years and $285M left on the deal (plus an option with a $10M buyout) would get the Sox a generational talent with a much more realistic pricetag than what Harper is going to command.

 

 

This is not true in 2017. There is an article on ESPN's baseball page titled "Is there anything Yoan Moncada can't do"? and "Get to know Yoan Moncada" Winning will put any talented player in the spotlight, being a good player will also put you in the spotlight.

[Wanne]

Not sure what it would even be considered. I like the direction as is...and really don't see the need to even contemplate signing any big name FAs in the foreseeable future. Of course that's just my 2¢...

[Dick Allen]

Not sure what it would even be considered. I like the direction as is...and really don't see the need to even contemplate signing any big name FAs in the foreseeable future. Of course that's just my 2¢...

Hahn made it seem last night that this season and next are the rebuilding years, and some trades and/or free agency should fill in the holes after next season. That the money they don't spend this season and next would be used for 2019 and beyond. So his target to contend is 2019. I think it's a bit aggressive, but if these guys are as advertised with minimal busts, it's possible.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Dick Allen

[steveno89]

Hahn made it seem last night that this season and next are the rebuilding years, and some trades and/or free agency should fill in the holes after next season. That the money they don't spend this season and next would be used for 2019 and beyond. So his target to contend is 2019. I think it's a bit aggressive, but if these guys are as advertised with minimal busts, it's possible.

 

2017 = suck

 

2018 = suck

 

2019 = ideally a return to respectability, should see progress. Team works its way back to around .500 baseball

 

2020 = should contend for the division

[Rowand44]

2017 = suck

 

2018 = suck

 

2019 = ideally a return to respectability, should see progress. Team works its way back to around .500 baseball

 

2020 = should contend for the division

I think that's the realistic timeline for most people. I also don't think it's completely out of the equation they arrive a year early since the rotation has a chance to be loaded and some of the top hitters in A ball might get here quicker than expected. Am I betting on that? Of course not. Do I think it's impossible? Absolutely not.

Edited July 19, 2017 by Rowand44

[steveno89]

I think that's the realistic timeline for most people. I also don't think it's completely out of the equation they arrive a year early since the rotation has a chance to be loaded and some of the top hitters in A ball might get here quicker than expected. Am I betting on that? Of course not. Do I think it's impossible? Absolutely not.

 

I'm with you. 2018 is not going to be pretty as we go through growing pains, but 2019 should see significant progress.

 

There is a chance of things clicking and we surprise, but I'll stick to a more conservative estimate of 2020-2021 being when we start to make some noise

[Dam8610]

I really hope they sign Machado in the 2018-2019 off-season.

[SoxAce]

Why would Bryce Harper NOT want to come to the White Sox?

 

He was very critical of the LaRoche situation on twitter. Not sure if that will have any barring though.

[ron883]

He was very critical of the LaRoche situation on twitter. Not sure if that will have any barring though.

If Harper was on Team LaRoche, I see very little chance that the White Sox even entertain the idea of signing him, IMO. The LaRoche situation is why the whole rebuild started. If you were team LaRoche, you got traded.