maxjusttyped

The penalties for going over the luxury tax (even repeatedly!) are not that severe. Big market teams receiving a PR pass for treating it as a hard cap is mind blowing to me. But I'm glad that it could very well lead to the Sox signing one of Machado or Harper. http://m.mlb.com/glossary/transactions/competitive-balance-tax

Something in baseball is broken when the league is posting record revenues and only 1/2 teams are seriously interested in 26 year olds on a HoF trajectory.

In terms of total value in the deal, I suspect Harper and Machado will be #1 & #2. In terms of AAV, you're right.

I find it hard to believe what will likely be the 2 largest contracts in North American sports history will sneak up on people. I think we'll know days in advance a deal is close, about to be signed, etc. There is zero indication Harper or Machado will sign anytime soon.

If you care about this sort of thing, steamer has Eloy projected to hit .295 next season. 8th highest average in baseball! He's going to be so good! https://www.fangraphs.com/projections.aspx?pos=all&stats=bat&type=steamer&team=0&lg=all&players=0&sort=17,d

If it's true, then the entire organization deserves to be scorned. But we have no idea if it is.

It's hard not to be pessimistic when this organization has done nothing to earn the benefit of the doubt.

Offering Machado that deal and not expecting he/his agent to completely end negotiations with you would be pretty bold.

Given the way the FA landscape is looking right now, there is no reason the Phillies couldn't pull this off.

Agreed. If the Sox were to sign Machado, I wouldn't be opposed to him on a 3 year deal with a high AAV.

Perhaps I'm being too pessimistic and took this quote out of context. Here's what Passan wrote in the final paragraph of his column: "Chicago already has traded for first baseman Yonder Alonso, Machado's brother-in-law, and signed outfielder Jon Jay, a close friend. The transactions by themselves haven't swayed Machado to deem the White Sox a favorite, but they were strong indications of Chicago's seriousness about signing Machado." edit - I should have reread his article before making that post. Initially I thought Passan was saying the Sox hadn't done enough to be considered the favorites for Machado, when he was just referencing the acquisitions of Alonso & Jay.

Passan going out of his way to say the Sox aren't the favorites for Machado seemed noteworthy.

It's because most fans and media are allowing teams to use the luxury tax as a justification for not spending. The penalties aren't severe enough where it should be treated as a defacto hard cap. Salaries haven't remotely kept up with revenues in baseball over the last 10+ years.

It is mind boggling to me that big market teams are getting a PR pass for treating the luxury tax as a hard cap.

If the Sox can't position Machado well enough for him to be an ~average defender at SS, that's an indictment of their front office, analytics department, etc.