Dick Allen

He also said it would be a Soxfest surprise, then said a snag occurred so the only Soxfest surprise would be the Joc Pederson trade. So far, his calls look like Adam Engel in a box score.

You're probably correct. But he is risking himself getting injured or some other unforseen circumstance. I don't think the White Sox or Phillies offers are going lower. If Harper signs, one will come off the board, but I don't see how the other one would then dramatically increase. I think the SF, SD, mystery team stuff is all BS. \ The funny thing is, if he truly is holding out for what Heyman suggests, he has definitely limited his market to 2 teams, and one of them will probably sign the other guy, so it will be one team, and neither are dumb enough to bid against themselves, so it might make sense for him to sign where he would rather be.

Of course it's about money. But at this point, they are hoping a team they would rather play for, not the White Sox or Phillies, somehow comes up with the cash.

Good. I'm sure this strategy of waiting will work well. And at least $100 million will be added to the offers in a couple of weeks.

If it's money you wouldn't be spending, it wouldn't change your life.

Good for you. But it wouldn't be irrational to take $200 million if you would be much happier somewhere else. The fact of the matter is, your life moving forward isn't going to be any different from a financial standpoint once those 7 years are over. And you may have been happier those 7 years. Either way, his family and offspring will be well taken care of. And the difference between what Manny can get from the White Sox if Lozano wanted to wrap this up today, vs. what he could get from the White Sox if Lozano wants to drag this out until the middle of March, isn't significant at all.

As I said, it's all about ego.

If the White Sox are offerning him $250 million, unless he's a total idiot, when his time comes, his estate will be more than significant, and it certainly isn't going to change much waiting another couple of weeks.

It's really not. It's money he will never spend. If you were offered a job somewhere you really liked and they were willing to pay you all the money you will ever need plus many millions more and you were offered another job at a place you would rather not be, but they were offering the same, but even millions on top of that, what would you choose? I don't blame players or anyone else for taking the most money. But in terms of reality, if money is the thing, at some point having double or triple more than you will ever need isn't that important except for dick measuring contests.

If that's the case, then the agents need to tell teams this is happening now, give it your best shot. The numbers won't be significantly different than they will be a month from now. You want teams to get off the pot, you have to provide a deadline. Deadlines get things done in MLB.

Don't forget, they also have JD Martinez to use as an example. Hundreds of millions of dollars aren't going to suddenly appear in the middle of February.

I think it is team preference now. They would rather not be White Sox. They are holding out hope, somehow their desired spot has a sudden opening. It's most likely not going to happen, but it does fit with Olney's safety net. The White Sox are the fallback plan. They aren't plan A., maybe not even plan B or C, but they are plan something.

Every situation is different. But there is a big difference trying to get more when it's $110 million vs. trying to get more when it's $250 million. And if the White Sox are offering $250 million, and the Yankees are out, what is Machado waiting for if this is where he wants to be? He would rather be somewhere else, or the offer is more Levine, Olney like. Texiera said it on MLBN. These guys are going to wind up goind somewhere they would rather not be. I don't feel sorry for them, because they could go play exactly where they want to play and still make enough money not to have ever worry about money again at age 26. But this is ridiculous money. There really is no difference between $200 million and $400 million except ego. It's money they will never spend.

It really doesn't have to be this way. Patrick Corbin signed quickly for a lot of money. Chances are if he were still out there, he would not get what he was hoping. If Boras and Lozano got serious in November and December and said, it's final offer time, the numbers wouldn't be much different than they will be if they do it now. In fact, they may even have been better because teams may have spent at least some of what they planned to offer.

What were Darvish's pre-Cubs offers? And how many months was he sitting on the Cubs offer? JD Martinez signed for less than half of what "insiders" say the Sox offered Machado.

If they are being offered the second or third highest contract of all time, both in total amount and AAV, and they really wanted to be White Sox, they would be White Sox right now, not holding out for some miracle. It's already way more money than they will ever spend.

It would be hard to argue with you. If the White Sox are offering the most money, and they want to play here, it would seem something other than waiting would have happened by now.

Their only hope is to win the Big 10 Tournament.

Well, it says here they are still in contact with Manny's rep. They aren't negotiating. Don't want to be told Manny made his choice.... https://www.mlb.com/news/phillies-still-in-for-machado-harper/c-301405234

No it's not.

He has, and I have enjoyed his posts. But this winter he has taken on some sort of insider role, even calling people out for being silly. Yet, this is the silliest thing in Soxtalk history. Dan Lozano is not going to deliver Bryce Harper to the White Sox.

He responded to me. Why can't I respond back? I know we all want the Sox to sign both, and anyone who comes up with a scenerio in which they will, no matter how silly, and impossible to believe, needs to be believed. But there is no way a player agent is going to be in on a scheme to suppress another player's contract.

He'll tell you he can't tell you, just wait for Passan to post something. And then when Passan posts something, he'll tell you Passan was wrong. Another "insider" batting .000 this offseason.

Another guy who knows all the answers. If the Players Association is so worried about collusion, why would a player and his agent play along to suppress what may be the largest contract in the game's history/ It is the dumbest scenerio of all time.

If you don't find that scenerio wrong at all, I am very glad I don't know you. Why did you fail to tell the Phillies your client had agreed to terms with another team and is no longer considering signing with them? Well, we were hoping to fake them out so they wouldn't offer another player too much money, so this player could join my client in Chicago. Mr. Reinsdorf and I cooked this up. How can you now realize how stupid this is?