xSouthsider2

Why?

This thread could become a real RIOT if we still don't have a signing April 1.

The greed will keep this going thru spring training. Lozano wants more money for HIS pocket.

Mystery teams my butt! Either some BOTTOM FEEDERS trying to sneak in with a bargain signing or Lozano trying to get the Sox or Phillies to bid more so he can get a higher cut.

WTF are they "mystery" teams. Not enough balls to come out and say it?

No, I hope they do not strike. We lost a potential WS appearance in 94 with that strike. With the greed on BOTH sides I cannot side with either side. The fans are the only ones that will get screwed by a strike.

These freaking players are ruining the game for fans and their families. Almost have to take out a loan to take the family to the games. YES, LONGORIA, IT IS OUR MONEY! Yes, the owners are a bunch of greedy a-holes too. But they are running a business. What business does NOT try to keep their costs down? I watched Adam Dunn and James Shields continue to show up year after year to get their checks while they sucked the big one. If the players are thinking of striking because Machado may have to SETTLE for ONLY $200 MILLION instead of $300 MILLION, they better think twice. There are OTHER ways to spend my money. I have NOT watched an NFL game since the kneeling started. We Sox fans got screwed in 94 because of this same greed. Owners AND players better think twice about all this.

Avisail signing with Tampa official. Guess we HAVE to sign Harper now?

Have your affairs in order before you start.

Go White Sox. And sign him already!

You would think so. If they are serious, then they have the money and are serious to spend it, so why dick around? They HAVE to know SoxFest will be a shout fest if he is not signed yet, and that they would have to beef up security if he signs with someone else by then.

I have watched Sox baseball since the mid 50's. NOTHING, concerning the Sox or MLB has been as weird as yesterday. So much "leaks", "rumors" "fighting" and whatever between the agent, "sources", and so called sports reporters! Really hard to believe they sunk this low. I think this will not be resolved soon. We could get to 1,000 pages here before anything is resolved. I hope we get Machado. A lot of these same "leakers" and/or tweeters that are belittling Machado's character IMHO probably are for teams that will not be getting him. I have heard a couple people that supposedly know Machado that have a different take: They think Machado is the kind of player you hate if he is playing against you, but love if he is on your team. Sound familiar? Like a guy named "AJ"? I will take a 26 year old superstar that plays like AJ did any day.

Sorry for your loss.

Another story on mlbtraderumors about the Phillies. It says the Phillies are not going to sign both whales but "they could". Another positive story about the Phillies and what they could do. That it is really the Phillies choice who they sign. What coverage do the Sox get? Just negatives about "their offer is still at seven years". Let's face it folks...Sox do not have many believers in the national media. I think it is time to change that perception, and I think a lot of fans agree. Let's do it, Reinsdorf!

If Sox got Machado, would it make sense to take on a lot of Greinke salary while not giving up top 100 prospects?

Go White Sox.

Hahn did not get his job by being dumb. He obviously knows baseball, contract negotiations, public relations, and how Sox fans think. I think he knows Sox fans will be UPSET if we strike out on both the whales. Sox fans will not be happy at SoxFest if we have not signed anyone even if neither whale has signed with anyone else by then. Hahn also knows what it would be like at SoxFest if we already have struck out and they signed somewhere else. So I would think SoxFest is as good a target for us to look at as any. It does not HAVE to happen, but it would be a lot easier on not only the fans, but especially Hahn, KW, and JR at SoxFest. If they are SERIOUS about signing Machado or Harper it is time to show us and SoxFest would be a good time.

My bad. I was in Nam then and only getting bits and pieces of any news. By the time it reached TEN I probably realized the season was over and did not pay much attention to any more Sox news.

Forgot to mention... Sorry, I have NO sources. All you will get from me is my opinions. Opinions based on all my years as a Sox fan. During that time a few great times, especially 2005, something I had thought would NEVER happen in my lifetime. But I want MORE WS wins. No more Dybzinski falling on his ass with what would have been the winning run in 83, with Cy Young winner Lamarr Hoyt waiting to pitch game five and put us in the WS in 83. No more allowing those bastards in Toronto to steal Black Jack McDowell pitches and keep us out of the WS in 93. No more having a pitcher with no balls starting game one in 2008 and immediately losing a three run lead that Dewayne Wise gave us with a three run homer in the first. And no more losing two double headers to losing teams in September and blowing a pennant in 1967, and then starting 1968 with 12 straight LOSSES. So, my opinion on Machado? We sign him for over $300 million "IF" Hahn and KW play their cards right. Can't mess this up. I hope they know this. They have put us in too deep to not succeed. We get neither "whale" and we look like losers to the rest of baseball.

I was a regular poster on the Sox MLB site as "xSouthsider". Anyone know why the Sox and/or MLB closed off the chatting venue to fans that was available for each topic on the site? Always enjoyed the chats there and think it was a big mistake on their parts to take that away from the fans. I grew up in Chicago and lived about a mile from Comiskey Park on 35th and California. I could hear the score board go off after a Sox homer.

First time signing in. I am NOT a jump on the bandwagon guy. I have been a Sox fan since 1956. I hate the Scrubs. So, hopefully I fit right in? I knew every player and number on the Sox in the late 50's and early 60's. Still know the players now, but not always the numbers. I consider myself a knowledgeable Sox fan, but am impressed with some of the knowledge of the fans on this site. Hope I can keep up? I have been monitoring the site for a few weeks now, especially since the Machado/Harper saga got into high gear. I have to say I have mixed emotions about signing Machado. I was on the sign Machado and/or Harper movement way back to LAST off season. But, now, with all this delay, and rumors and "leaks" and all the other aspects of these "negotiations" I am getting turned off. I actually have backed myself into a corner. If we sign one or both, fine. If we don't sign either I will be both relieved and pissed. If we low ball the offers and end up pissing Machado off and come up empty and looking like fools because the Scrubs sneak in and sign one of them, or he takes a much smaller offer from his beloved Yankees I will be super pissed off. It will be the same old cheap cheap of the organization. But looking at it from another perspective, maybe Machado does NOT want to come to the Sox? Our record since 2008 hardly inspires confidence that we will turn it around. Our showing so far from our "prospects" does not inspire confidence either. So maybe he and Lozano are just using us. I don't like my team to embarrass me. Hahn and KW have sort of put us in a can't win situation. After all this "hype" we come up empty? And Machado never wanted to come here anyway and our beloved FO put us up for the world to see as fools? Seems like we can't win...we don't get either whale, as you all call them, and look like fools, or we overpay. I hope Hahn and KW are smarter than this and have a winning plan in place and we do sign a whale. But with this dragging on and on and on, I am getting frustrated. Sorry for rambling on, but this is just how I feel right now. Very frustrated with this whole process and hoping that Hahn and KW know what they are doing.