hogan873

I could see a 7 year deal with options after. Maybe potential 10 year total at $320M or so.

In regards to landing both Harper and Machado, I would think the chances are pretty low. Not "so you're saying there's a chance" low, but low nonetheless. However, if the Sox were willing to spend the money, it would probably be enticing for either guy to play for a team the other is playing on. The interest for Harper to sign with the Sox would probably increase if they sign Machado (and vice versa). And the Sox have the money. They could sign both and grab Ottavino and add $80M to the payroll...and their payroll would still be relatively low for 2019. I honestly don't see it happening. I think the more likely scenario is that they sign one and stop pursuing the other. I think Machado signs first, and there's a decent chance he signs with the Sox. However, if he signs elsewhere, the Sox will go hard after Harper.

I can already see what will happen. There will be spikes of supposed activity that will result in a flurry of tweets and posts. Then, one day when we're bored and nothing is seemingly going on he'll sign. SoxTalk will lock up, shouts (good or bad) will be bellowed, computers will be hugged (or punched), and we'll all madly search for one of previous posts to share and say, "see, I told you guys this would happen!"

Yeah, signing Machado does a lot for this team, but if (and when) it happens, I can't wait to see the meltdowns by New Yorkers and the media.

What new rumor today will spring an explosion of posts? Will we be more optimistic today, or will we be ready to punch a computer screen?

Oh, let us have fun! This has been the best day for positive news, and we're just dreaming right now. If it all falls apart, we'll curl up in balls and sob ourselves to sleep thinking of a Harpchado-less 2019.

I can't imagine that he hasn't made up his mind. For all we know, he's finalizing a deal with someone this week.

First we've heard in a while that the Sox were confident about Harper. I like hearing that the Cubs are not a factor...right now at least.

I thought that was bucket. I recognized the pic.

Everything, except for Levine's babbling points to the Sox making competitive offers to these guys. The Sox could possibly be offering only 7 years but with a bunch of money. However, I believe they are offering more than 7 years for both of these guys.

What the Sox have to offer at the MLB level is somewhat irrelevant, especially if what they can offer for the future is promising. And that's exactly what the Sox have going on right now. One of these guys has the opportunity to THE centerpiece of a potential perennial contender for quite a while. Obviously we can't count on every prospect living up to their expectations, but even if some hit this team is going to be good. Adding a Machado or Harper makes them a lot better and would result in the team making more moves. But to your point, a metric shit-ton of money speaks very loudly.

I don't believe this at all. This goes against everything else we've heard, especially the Sox feeling really good about landing one of them. Unless, however, these purported 7 year deals are for a shit-load per year. Something like 7/$300M.

I don't watch a lot of movies but have seen a few lately. Enjoyed Bohemian Rhapsody a lot. I'm a huge Queen fan, and even though I know the movie didn't go real deep into Mercury's life, it was a good time at the movies. BirdBox was good. The suspense was well-done. I thought the ending was a bit quick, but it was a nice surprise. The Wave, a Norwegian film from 2016, was really good. It was a disaster flick, but I thought it was better than a lot of the American disaster movies. Yesterday my wife and I watched A Man Called Ove. It's a Swedish movie. Really enjoyed it. I've watched my share of foreign movies and have no problem following the subtitles. This movie had a ton of dialogue, and the characters talked quickly. I had to pay close attention to it. Highly recommended.

Yeah, I was thinking annually those two guys combined would cost the same or less than Harper or Machado. Arenado would be a nice option, but I feel he may extend with the Rockies. Rendon would be a great fit as would Bogaerts. And a #1 or #2 starter would be huge (Sale or Cole, especially). Maybe I'm more concerned about the perception if the Sox miss out on the big two and don't do anything. Many fans, possibly myself included, would not have much faith in the team's ability to get one of the those bigger names next off season.

Obviously we can choose to believe or not believe the rumors about both Harper and Machado, but we can probably all agree that we wouldn't be surprised if they sign elsewhere. That being said, does doing nothing else make sense? If they miss out on both and end up not making another move, how much better is this team in 2019 even if Moncada, Anderson, Giolito, and Lopez make strides? What concerns me is the lack of big free agents after this coming season. Would it make sense to sign Moustakas and Pollack? I'm not sure what kind of money they would be getting, but I would suspect that both could be signed for about what one of Harper or Machado would cost. How much do those guys improve the Sox, though?

It'll be interesting to see if anything does indeed happen. Sounds like Manny's decision won't be until next week at the earliest. There's been little news on Harper. My guess, if there was actually something brewing, is a pitcher signing. I get the feeling that the Sox won't make any major moves until the Machado/Harper ordeal is over. Signing either of those guys will force the Sox to make some other significant moves. Missing out on both will probably lead to a few minor moves.

I think it matters, at least to some degree. Like Harper, he'd be the face of the White Sox instantly.

I don't think her brother playing for the White Sox is much of a factor at all. And as far as the money, yeah he may indeed decide to take the most money, but it'll be his decision. He's not going to just let his agent handle everything and "get back to him."

You'd have to think that JR was there for at least part of the meeting.

We haven't heard as much about what Manny wants like we have with Harper. Probably because of Boras. However, one would think that both guys would like the idea of signing with a team that will build around them. That's something the Sox can definitely offer.

I love Twitter. One guy is saying "sources" are saying Machado has declined the Yankees offer, another scrub is saying" sources" are saying Machado is calling the Sox and Phillies to tell them he's signing with the Yankees. Everyone has sources.

If the reports that the Sox will not be outbid are correct, it's possible he is actually leaning toward the Sox. Maybe the 90 minute meeting was about possible contracts and the two parties were far apart. Wishful thinking, I think. But who knows.

Toronto must have no faith in him returning to form. He's still probably worth a look for the minimum by a team in need.

Forgive my ignorance, and I'm not suggesting or expecting the Sox to be seriously interested in him, but if he signs with another team does he still get the owed money from Toronto? Or is the signing team on the hook for it?

He might have thrown in a roll of quarters for the vending machines, too.