Being the 2nd team to bid a number is a terrible strategy for the White Sox. Why would Machado pick the 2nd team willing to go to a number, unless they were his first choice all along?
Also, if you believe Rick Hahn, as of Soxfest, the Sox still had no idea what it would actually take to sign Machado, so they have no idea what that "sign today" number actually is. There is no sticker price posted on the vehicle.