No one wants to get into a bidding war, especially not against themselves. So yeah, when Bruce Levine says the White Sox still have the same offer on the table that was reported a month ago, it might concern some fans, but it’s not really bad news. The market simply hasn’t built up for Manny Machado and the White Sox don’t want to pay more than they have to. Yet, in free agency you almost always overpay for star players. That’s just how it works.
Again, this isn’t to say the White Sox are in a bad spot to sign Machado, because it’s quite the opposite. As of now, they have the only reported offer for him, as the Phillies are still just waiting around.
One of two things have to be true right now. The seven-year, $175 million offer from the White Sox, which Machado’s agent said was false, really doesn’t exist, or it is on the table and obviously Machado wants more money. If the White Sox have the only offer, why hasn’t Machado signed? He obviously wants more money, which Ken Rosenthal confirmed in his recent report in The Athletic.
If you were hoping for a Machado signing this weekend, you’re probably going to have to wait even longer. Right now it’s a staring contest between Bryce Harper’s agent and Machado’s agent.
Via The Athletic.
Harper’s agent, Scott Boras, and Machado’s agent, Dan Lozano, both are believed to be seeking at least $300 million. Neither wants to sign first, knowing once one of the players goes off the board, the other will benefit from gaining the sole attention of the remaining suitors.
Here’s where some concern should come in for White Sox fans. We just saw the Phillies jump in late to the J.T. Realmuto sweepstakes and were ultimately the most aggressive team, finalizing the trade on Thursday. What if they once again become ultra aggressive and amp up their pursuit of Machado.
According to Rosenthal, White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf may not be willing to get involved in a bidding war with other teams, preferring to lay back. But what if the Phillies just say fuck it and offer up stupid money to Machado? The White Sox are going to be left back in the dust.
White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, for one, would prefer to chase the market rather than set it, according to sources. That way, he could avoid a bidding war, wait until the very end to hear the number he needs to reach, then decide whether he is willing to pay.
It’s all going to come down to Jerry. Is he willing to overpay for Machado.
But hey, as of today the feeling remains that the White Sox really have no competition for Machado, so it might not matter after all if Machado wants more money if no other team is offering it.
@BNightengale talking Manny Machado on ESPN's Baseball Tonight pod.
"I'm hearing #WhiteSox and only #WhiteSox. I'd be shocked if he doesn't end up there. I'm not hearing much on the Phillies. You wonder how much he wants to go to Philadelphia."
(Via @JoeGiglioSports)
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) February 8, 2019
That is coming from Bob Nightengale, sooooooo, you know, take it with a grain of salt. Sounding like a broken record at this point, but Machado and Harper still aren’t close to signing. For the sake of White Sox fans, just hope Jerry doesn’t screw it up.