Dick Allen

Of course it makes sense if it works. If the Sox are flying blind on this and just did this out of desperation and it doesn’t work, then you are right, it will be ridiculous. I am just a little surprised the National guys haven’t took this and run. The White Sox weren’t looking for a 1 year DH. They weren’t looking for a 1 year 1B. They weren’t looking to help the Indians out of a financial pinch. Yet they acquired Alonso and ate the entire contract. It’s onky a coincidence he is Machado’s brother in law. For all the so and so it the front runner, they percentage breakdowns of teams chances, this trade is clearly a big clue. The White Sox have to be the favorites for Manny right now.

I saw Cashman on MLBN. He has so many options. He was talking about signing. 2B and making Torres the SS. As a cheaper alternative to Manny. It is as if they the Dodgers the Cubs and Red Sox have final say over everyone else over where guys are going to play.

Cleveland traded him to the White Sox for nothing. Maybe there is another team that will take him for nothing, but it’s pretty doubtful right now, because the Tribe probably would have sent him elsewhere if only because of the small chance he could come back to haunt them.

The only scenario in which he will reach it is if the team wants him to reach it. Which means he is having a big year. If he is his usual mediocre self, he will sit vs,. LHP, he will be n the bench for Palka some, and he will hit down in the order, all limiting his plate appearances. There is no worry with it. If the option vests, we all will be happy it did.

4 White Sox reach that total last year. Matt Davidson wasn’t one of them. Anderson, Moncada, Abreu, Sanchez. The only way he will reach it is if that is what the White Sox want. It is a non issue.

And word would get out that he is a snake. There is obviously a lot of BSing in negotiations both ways,, but the vast majority of these guys, Boras included, do operate ethically. I doubt Machado’s agent would risk having his name dragged through the mud, harming future negotiations with all teams.

Alonso and Palka had the same fWaR and Abreu was higher, so it might improve the team, as I think Palka may be due for an unkind correction. But, doesn’t Abreu not hit as well as a DH? And isn’t like Alonsois a gold glove type, and what, you go from 65 o 66 wins? They would be better off handing out $9 million in $100 bills around the city. i think the Sox would have a hard time getting their money back if Machado signed with the Yankees today, and they put Alonso back on the market. And all of this is dismissing Alex Call as a legitimate prospect. That’s probably accurate. No one seems too upset he is gone. But if he develops into a serviceable player and this was only a stunt, and it blows up in the White Sox face, that would be another kick in the balls.

Does anyone really believe Alonso was brought in for some reason other than Manny Machado?

It doesn’t matter. It will be $9 million spent that doesn’t help the team. That is $9 million they cannot spend elsewhere. And since you have been a White Sox fan a long time, youwill remember KWs favorite lime you can’t spend $1 when you only have $0:50. The $9 million might come in handy some time. On top of that, you just did the Indians a solid with their payroll crunch. if it works, and I now have every reason to think it will, awesome. If it doesn’t, it was stupid. And I have not ripped the move. If it fails, I will.

The Sox will offer opt outs. They were either the first or one of the first to offer one to a high priced free agent. It may not be as simple as the player saying he wants to become a free agent. There will most likely be steps the team can take ie adding more money that cancels the opt out.

The Sox have Abreu playing 1B, and Palka a LH DH. Hahn has stated over and over again how this winter is about long term pieces not short term fixes, if even Alonso can be considered a fix. Picking him up is about 1 thing and 1 thing only. If that doesn’t happen he blew $9 million for what? Wouldn’t spending even less than that been better to see if Avi Garcia could hit .330 again? Not only that, he helped Cleveland at least a little bit with their payroll problem. if the Sox don’t sign Machado after spending $9 million to do so, they are a joke, if it makes Machado a White Sox it is a great move. It is that simple.

Than a joke? If they miss out on both, they still will be irrelevant.But this trade actually has made me more optimistic. I am no fan of Hahn, but I don’t think he would make this trade just as part of his presentation. He must know more than that. There is no other explanation for this acquisition. He is short term, and his position is already covered by players better and/or younger than him. This must be part of the tax the Sox have to pay to keep him from the Yankees. If it is not, this winter has been a total bust for them.

It isn’t, but it would be a whole new level. Trading for his brother in law, while helping a division rival, offering the most money, and still can’t close the deal, would have to be close to rock bottom. Anytime you ever mentioned you were a White Sox fan to someone who was a baseball fan of any other team, there is a good chance it would be mentioned.

Yes, but......the White Sox will be non contenders that first year. It should make it more bearable, before they supposedly put a winning team on the field. And, he probably has faith that Alonso will be so good, he wasn’t acquired to be a one and done. To me, the problem would be if a year from now the let Alonso and Castillo go, and the team is still stuck in the mud, then what happens? I also think they run the danger of creating cliques. The Sox clubhouse could be like high school. And there is really very little chance they will give him the plate appearances for his option to vest, unless of course, he plays so well they want it vested.

If Machado signs, it’s a great trade. Maybe one of the best in team history. If he doesn’t sign, the White Sox will be the butt of jokes.

He should be, but no chance.

If rabbit is correct and the Sox really had no chance despite their best efforts. It would mean their best efforts aren’t good enough. Time to change the regime. Again, while Alonso is pretty mediocre, it is hard to imagine the White Sox would trade for him and help out a division rival, even if it is only slightly, if they didn’t have a really good idea of its ultimate effect.

TBH, the first thought I had when I saw this trade,and I have long thought there is next to no chance of them getting Harper or Machado, was OMG, they ARE getting Manny. There really is no other reason to make this trade.

The Sox have room for him. The Phillies, not so much. Hahn hasn’t shown he is a great GM, but he is a bright guy. To think they just made this trade just hoping it may move the needle with Machado would be hard to believe. IMO, if this doesn’t work, they should be banned from playing anything but circus music at GRF in 2019.

Yeah but how do you ever live down offering the most money, bringing in family, and still getting rejected?

It is pretty obvious what this acquisition is all about. If it works, it was fabulous. If it doesn’t, it will be a laughable move. Almost laughingstockish.

Yes it is. Makes me think Grandal wasn’t a consideration if Manny was the one they were going to sign because they wouldn’t want to do his buddy Castillo wrong.

We are now on official Machado watch.

I think Joc Pederson is tight with the new batting analytics guy. That might be a match. Although he doesn’t make much. I think to take Kemp off their hands they would have to give me Pederson and still another of their better prospects. The reality is you would be saving them more money than you are taking. That is obviously only if I was out on Harper and Machado. But one of the White Sox or Phillies will be if the Dodgers sign Harper. And maybe both.

If Harper is no longer available, you may be able to buy prospects from the Dodgers with the cost being their contracts they want to dump. Everyone would rather have Harper, but if you cannot have him it might make sense depending on what is attached, to help the Dodgers out. To me it would have to be guys at or near their top.