White-Sox windtalker and Commander and Chief Rick Hahn sent a flurry of smoke signals out to Sox fans this past week. Many of his statements were of the canned variety one would expect from an executive in a heated race to secure one or more exceptional free agents, namely: Bryce Harper and Manny Machado.
Few among us will abstain from reading the tea leaves and interpreting his comments as signaling a sway in action one way or the other. In fact, MLB.com‘s White Sox beat writer Scott Merkin just fired out an admonishing tweet for White-Sox Twitter to stop reading too deeply into Hahn’s comments.
However, the fact remains Hahn said stuff…so…we’re going to think stuff. That’s the luxury we have as fans and close observers of our favorite franchise. And as the Winter Meetings came to a close over the last 24 hours, Hahn did some serious chatting with the Sox-media contingent on hand for the puttering fireworks.
From Rick Hahn’s scrum on Wednesday night
When asked about signing players out of free-agency and whether a deal is close (presumably with Harper):
Hahn: "I’m pretty binary on these things. You either get it done or you don’t. It’s hard for me to say if we are close. We have a lot of conversations going on about various needs….
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Hahn: "..It’s hard to prognosticate getting something done here, or next week or over the weekend. Before the holidays. We are moving forward in a couple of different fronts."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
In direct contrast to the 2016-Winter Meetings in Washing D.C. where the Sox cut a deal with Boston for Chris Sale, the same trade that netted Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech, the Vegas edition of a trade-free-agent bonanza sputtered from the beginning. Rumors swirled for days about player/club meetings and what team was in the lead for which player, but the reality was ultimately disappointing.
The White Sox stole Ivan Nova from the Pirates for a few nickles and two fungos while much of the focus remained on who was meeting with Harper and where. Rumors and optimism aside, the trade for Nova was a good move by the White Sox, but this was an appetizer compared to the feast many of the Sox-faithful were hoping for.
The Sox still need a catcher
This following answer was in response to a question about catching prospects, but according to Merkin, seemed to have greater significance.
Hahn: "I don’t put too much stock in "the White Sox are the frontrunners for this" or even "the White Sox are interested in that" because a lot of the time it tends to be inaccurate. It’s the nature of the business. It’s that time of year, which is a lot of fun for fans."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Hahn: "We’ve spent a lot of time over the last couple of years to put us in a position where we very reasonably or objectively have a bright future ahead of us….
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Hahn: "And we’ve heard from a number of different players about their interest in being part of it, which I don’t think should be surprising."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Emmhmm. Damn right players want in on the South Side. Despite Hahn’s pot shot at the media for stirring up “inaccurate” rumors, most of his thoughts were fair and honest. I wouldn’t expect an executive in the heat of competing against other cities and front-office brass to take a boastful stance and goad a free agent into making a decision. it seems foolish to make pronouncements to the media about where they stand in the depth chart with players they’ve pitched.
Still, these processes and negotiations reach a point where, occasionally, the last card organizations have to play is muddying things up in media reports to force a player one way or the other. In fact, Phillies’ GM Matt Klentak did something close to this after signing Andrew McCutchen to a three-year deal earlier this week. But the nuclear-option is always the last resort. Klentak didn’t go full throttle on the nuke launcher; just fired a small scud toward Harper’s camp.
Timing is key
Major League Baseball’s Winter Meetings have become the defacto offseason deal-making venue, but that is a false assumption. With all of the executives and media herded into one hotel for four days, the likelihood of a deal getting done is always possible, but players clearly don’t feel pressured to make hasty decisions.
Hahn: "These processes can take some time to play out. All we can do is remain diligent with our message and diligent in our pursuits and look for ways to continue to make an impact on this team for the long term."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Hahn: "To go to the question of timing, I really don’t have better insight than you do in terms of whether something on a grand scale or even on a small scale comes together in the next matter of days, weeks or we are still talking about this as we get closer to Spring Training."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Hahn: "You don't want to pushy. You want to be respectful of the process they're going through on the other side and the magnitude of the decision they have to make."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
This is wise and true. If Hahn went rushing into free-agency demanding players take the deals in front of them without seriously considering whether it’s the right move or not, we should all kick him to the curb. Instead, there is a serious question of emotional intelligence in this process. It’s a rhetorical plea he is making to these players, along with the business and money side of the equation.
My belief is that the monetary offers will be extremely similar between the last few horses in the race for Harper and Machado, and what sways each player could come down to who they feel most comfortable with.
More Hahn: "At the same time, obviously we have to look out for our alternatives and make sure we're in a position to convert when opportunities may arise elsewhere. So it's a balance."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
And the best insurance policy the White Sox have is their gleaming, shimmering, downright embarrassing amount of talent in the minors.
The definition of success is…
…parades and rings. Hahn and Jerry want parades and rings. Championships will validate the entire process the Sox have undergone the last two years.
Hahn on whether outside players' positive response gives validation to the rebuild: "The only thing that's going to validate it is a parade at the end. That's what it comes down to."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
More Hahn: "In the end it's going to come down to rings. If this doesn't ultimately land us in a position to win multiple championships, then in my view it would not have worked."
— Scott Merkin (@scottmerkin) December 13, 2018
Harper’s agent Scott Boras told a swarm of media members Wednesday that part of what Harper is factoring into his decision-making process is the health of the franchise regarding prospects. He wants to know who is coming up in the next few years and how much of an impact they will have on the team.
And one thing to keep in mind is that Harper already has a few familiar faces inside the Sox organization. Lucas Giolito, Luis Alexander Basabe and Reynaldo Lopez were once Nationals’ players, and the fascination with friendships and how they influence these types of decisions is undeniable.
I mean, let’s face it just because Kris Bryant and Harper grew up in the same city doesn’t make them kindred spirits. In fact, my guess is they’re not quite as close as Cubs’ fans would like them to be. But what about Giolito and Lopez? … Excuse me while I scan Instagram and Twitter for any photos and/or tweets Harper has liked on Giolito’s account. There might be something in those tea leaves I missed.
