Dick Allen

I also think after their very public pursuit of Machado, Harper looks like a secomd choice. The only way you win that is by offering the most money. Of course most money won both of these.So that had about as much of a chance as Charles the Cat does of being correct.

The Sox new TV deal must be brutal.

I wonder why the Sox haven't leaked their final offer to Harper.

The only 3 people in the world who thought these guys would sign at a discount to play for a perennial loser who is ignored in their home city were JR, KW,and RH.

10 years and counting no playoffs. 6 losing seasons in a row and counting. There is no reason you should not was JR to sell the team if for the lone reason KW and RH and RR and the jobs for life coaching staff would immediately be dismissed. The offers to Machafo, and Harper if Harper even got one, were of the half assed variety in reality.Something we are more than used to by now.

I think they will be more interesting this year, and I have a 20 game plan. , which I will use.But overall I will probably watch less. I will be more focused on individuals. Watch Eloy hit. Watch Moncada, Abreu. See what a couple of pitchers are doing, and then change the channel.

If all the bad moves were JRs and KWs faults and RH had only the correct answers, RH would have moved along by now. He had some opportunities.

I think deep down, all of us knew how this was going to go. We bought it. I have a small partial season ticket plan. I was going to blow it off in 2019. In fact, I missed the deadline for the first payment and assumed I was out. Then right around the end of the Winter Meetings I received an email stating I still have a shot. So I figured hey, they have a shot. But deep down I knew. It will not happen again. They got a cheap 2 seat plan out of their BS. I would imagine I wasn't the only sucker. At least they should be a little better than last year, and there is Eloy. That poor guy is going to have the weight of the White Sox on his shoulders.

For sure. And any idiot could have figured that out weeks ago.

I really have never been anti-Jerry until Machado was lost, but looking at his franchises, it's really time for him to move on. Money is important to him. I don't blame him, it's important to me. He doen's have the heart to fire anyone, even though they would be long gone with any successful franchise. But he can have all the money he will ever need or want to pass down if he realizes his way doesn't work anymore. Take some pride in his almost 40 years of ownership with the Sox and Bulls, sell the teams, and take the money and run. Chicago deserves better.

The Phillies owner winds up keeping his promise and spends stupid money this offseason. The Sox couldn't get Harper or Machado, but did get friends and family.

Nightengale had this almost 4 months ago. But he sucks. https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2018/11/07/bryce-harper-phillies-free-agent-contract/1924622002/

Looks like the Boras played the Phillies too. So I wonder where the bidding was before he had Heyman mention the Dodgers and Giants. This was their chance to bid with the big boys on the sideline. Maybe the only reason the were able to sign Abreu was because the circumstances were similar, and JR did bust his budget for the $68 million. Business as usual.

I don't know if that is the case anymore. How did they do in 2012? It was worse than 2011, which was worse than 2010, which was worse than 2009, which was worse than 2008, which was worse than 2007. A definite pattern has developed. This team is irrelevant, and don't seem to want to make any bold financial moves to change.

2 years of planning down the drain.

How has the White Sox current approach worked for them?

It would take me forever to find it, but 3 or 4 months ago I predicted what Hahn would say when they ultimately lost out on Manny. I did mention comfort. I was the first to mention comfort. I am now an insider.

I still think if last call is March or it was in November, at least a couple of the teams would still have been involved.

I just think that is too much respect to give a team that has never shown they would actually do what it takes to sign a player like this, and it's not like Boras and JR are best buds.

This is a pretty good article about the Phillies. The White Sox are in the same boat. How many of these guys in the future are going to be available? https://theathletic.com/840072/2019/02/26/arenados-260-million-extension-and-the-prevailing-thought-that-this-must-be-the-phillies-bryce-harper-moment/

He is sent an email from Scott Boras every morning with his talking points. Sometimes there are very few, so he has to rehash them.

KW will be wearing shades to hide the look of shock.

C'mon man.

You would probably have a pretty good idea if he was going to opt out or not a year in advance. Ideally, a 3 year opt out isn't great, but if it's the difference between deal and no deal, make the deal. I think if you offered enough money, a 4 or 5 year opt out could be negotiated.

If they had signed Machado, and if Madrigal worked out, Moncada would have had to move to 1B or the OF. That's where Harper is, so it's basically the same except a bit worse defensively.