caulfield12

Why would KW possibly try to block a deal that wasn’t for crazy money? The only way that makes sense is if the broadcasting rights deal is paying even less than before...which would or should increase their urgency to TRY to put the organization in position to get a much higher rate per game by 2024.

Was going to attempt a Robert Kraft joke but presumably still too early...but, if you get there before 5 p.m., the Early Bird special applies.

Well, other than everything that has come out since then, unless it’s a complete misdirection or subterfuge. Sure, we can all see the logical arguments for why Harper would be even more valuable to this particular franchise at this exact moment in time...and hope that I guess they keep their involvement a complete secret until it’s announced (whereas the Padres started to receive a lot of media attention about two weeks before everything went down early last week.) We’d also have to wonder what is our appeal (other than money) when bringing in the “friends and family plan” failed to be the convincing factor and actually might have worked against them in a weird way.

Did he really intend to create that impression, and why? If they weren’t willing to go beyond $250 million guaranteed for Machado, why would they suddenly reverse course and guarantee $300-350 million for Harper?

Sure, they could have guaranteed Manny $30 million per year for a decade and Harper $30-40 million, but they have demonstrated no tangible signs of a desire to do so...in fact, they were willing to guarantee Machado $31.25 million per year, but where did that get them?

https://www.royalsreview.com/2019/2/6/18212011/lets-set-a-few-things-straight Royals’ blogger on why they need to take Rutschman 2nd despite their stable of catching prospects and the fact that they can’t move Sal Perez to 1B or DH realistically.

Does he hang out with Kris Bryant and his wife?

The Indians' dilemma with Lindor and Jose Ramirez...

Rick Hahn will figure out a way to actually get a "like" online for something he says, and doesn't piss off 90% of the fanbase for the first time in a full week.

Very sneaky. If the owners won't or can't pander to the fans, we can do it here at SoxTalk, and be proud of it. Love ya, Ben IHOP/IHOB Waffleson

I got ripped for comparing his lack of athletic ability even in high school...and instead heard about Epstein's lacrosse and soccer career. He will always think more of opportunity cost and risk mitigation rather than talent/ability first, its the way his brain has been trained.

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/kris-bryant-vents-about-servicetime-manipulation-its-awful-010426518.html Kris Bryant vents about service time manipulation, "It's awful." “It’s awful,” Bryant said. “So awful. It’s going to happen this year and it happens every year. I could understand it if you go out and have a rough spring training where you don’t look ready. But there’s certain people who put the time and the effort into the offseason so that they do show up to spring training and they prove that they’re ready to go. I feel like you should be rewarded for that.” “They’re finding a loophole in the system,” Bryant said. “It doesn’t make it right. It kind of seems like the easy way out rather than showing someone that we’re going to reward what you’ve done in spring and what you’ve done in the offseason. ‘Here you go, you get Opening Day.’ That’d be pretty cool.” When Bryant says “it’s going to happen this year,” he’s talking about Toronto Blue Jays prospect Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Chicago White Sox outfielder Eloy Jimenez. Both players enter spring training as two of the best prospects in the game. Everyone knows neither will open the season in the majors.

The second one. They clearly underestimated the Padres' finances, the attraction of the West Coast, the appeal of that #1 farm system (just as many Latin American players, if not more, than us) and the relationship Machado had already developed with Tatis, Jr., before this offseason and the fact that his two biggest "coups" of the offseason in Jay and Alonso ended up speaking in glowing terms about the Padres instead of the White Sox.

The problem here is that Hahn and KW are WAY WAY WAY too close to the management side of things, and have completely lost touch with what it means to be a fan. Their lives are too comfortable, too cushy. It's easy to understand why they wouldn't want to give that up, if you put yourselves in the same position, holding the jobs they do...I mean, it's a lot easier to become a Representative or Senator from your state than to become a major league GM. Still doesn't mean it doesn't suck for the fans that we have more of a lawyer/financial analyst than someone who leads with his heart. In fact, Community Relations/charity work might be the the ONLY area the White Sox are on the cutting edge, compared to the rest of the major leagues. Unfortunately, no W/L standings for most effective charity programs.

On the plus side, Denard can always get work as a "fill-in/sub" for Morgan on The Walking Dead when he lets his beard grow out...or King Ezekiel at the very least. If all that fails to materialize, Chris Paul as Uncle Drew or Don Cheadle.

It's likely even the same exact contract the Padres signed him to would have gotten the deal done...certainly 4-6 weeks ago. $300 million (guaranteed, not all that incentive BS that supposedly valued it at up to $350 million) for Machado always seemed like the magic number. Heck, I would have been okay with the option year kicking in after 4 instead of 5 seasons. Instead, it's like they were shopping for the Blue Light Special at K-Mart and got greedy, thinking they could just get a "steal" on his contract instead of paying what once seemed to be "fair market" value.

And this is why Rick Hahn has never said anything either negative or completely honest/forthright in his entire career as White Sox GM. He has to carry water for the ownership group, and serve as the buffer between the fans and JR. What KW does anymore, it's not exactly clear.

I thought they'd already offered Eloy a huge extension which had been summarily rejected?

I hope Shack knows what hes doing stirring all this up again? if it's not legit, its just going to further infuriate the fanbase. What's the upside here for the White Sox if they dont convert? Another week of PR nightmares? Driving up the price for the Cubs to counter?

Based on what exactly?

https://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseball/cubs/ct-spt-cubs-dodgers-bryce-harper-20190225-story.html Cubs' window being closed by Dodgers? The White Sox, meanwhile, have money to burn and supposedly were in the mix all winter for either Manny Machado or Harper. It was only a month ago at SoxFest that general manager Rick Hahn was asked about Machado and responded by lumping Machado and Harper together. “We belong at the table in these negotiations,” he said. “We belong part of these negotiations for premium talent, and regardless what happens over the next several weeks with either of these two players, we plan to continue to be at the table and continue to attempt to convert on these guys.” But according to reports, the Phillies, Dodgers and Giants are the only teams in the picture for Harper, and only the Phillies are willing to do a 10-year deal. The Sox either didn’t think they could meet Harper’s demands, didn’t think he was worth it or didn’t want to be rejected at the altar twice in a couple of weeks.

Nope, covers his 29-35 years...the last two are probably not optimal, but he has been worth a combined 8.2 fWAR the last two years with the Yankees. Projected at 3.3-5.2 again this year. Basically, he'll earn his contract back in just over 2 years (out of 7) if he continues this excellent play. I guess we should be thankful the Twins have been unable to hold onto guys like Hicks, Span and David Ortiz over the years. But then the Evil Empire just keeps getting richer and richer (hasn't translated into another WS title, though.)

Why the HECK is this even a debate worthy of having?

Maybe you can nominate it for the Pulitzer...?

Shouldn't Northwestern, Harvard and Michigan beat out the lowliest of the Ivies, and a humanities school at that? Maybe we need to send Hahn back to school for another degree, since Daniels and Preller both went to Cornell and have been much more successful in either scouting/talent evaluation OR getting their organizations to the playoffs. Preller grew up on Long Island, New York, and went to school in South Huntington, New York, where in 1995 he graduated from Walt Whitman High School.[2] He attended Cornell University, where he met Jon Daniels,[3][4] and graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. degree in 1999.[5] After graduation, he served as an intern with the Philadelphia Phillies before joining the front office of the Los Angeles Dodgers, and also worked for Major League Baseball.[6]