hogan873

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.

I certainly hope so, but I would expect the official offers would be settled first and then he would mull the decision. Realistically, I would guess after Christmas.

"Yeah, Rick, I was ready to sign, but then I saw this site called SoxTalk. That place is fucking nuts. I think I'll take that 20-year deal with the Cubs instead."

I'm certain offers have been discussed even if one hasn't been formally presented.

Lots of encouraging news yesterday. It definitely sounds like the Sox are truly in the running to sign Harper. I don't think money will be an issue. It'll most likely come down to what Harper really wants. Coming to the Sox, he'd have to know and accept that 2019 will still be a building year, and competing for the division and beyond starts in 2020. What the Sox can do that some others may not be able to is build a team around him for years to come. That and he'd instantly be the face of the franchise.

Harper - 10 years/$385M, opt outs after years 4, 5, and 6 Machado - 10 years/$350M, similar opt outs I would offer more to Harper only because I believe he would be more valuable to the franchise. I never thought about an ownership clause. That is an interesting idea.

Two encouraging notes. That he wants a team to build around Harper and information about the minors has been shared with Harper.

The Sox won't be ready to win in 2019, but they could be winning for years starting in 2020. It's going to come down to money, the chance to win, money, the chance to win for multiple seasons, and money.

I don't buy the 4-year deal to the Cubs when offer from the Sox and others would most likely contain opt-outs starting at year 4 or 5.

If true, it's not a surprise.

*yawn*

I was thinking of starting a thread around this. So here's my take: - Sign Grandal and Brantley - Sign/acquire one more decent starting pitcher and at least one more arm for the bullpen Not a lot going on there, but it'll be an improvement over last year and give the young guys a chance to play. What concerns me is the lack of big free agents after next season. The Sox will have to be more creative with trades.