Chicago White Sox

The Cubs are operating as a business under the Ricketts and I know for a fact they have to adhere to a budget right now. They’d have to move significant salary to have any chance at Bryce. And I don’t think the Cubs make important decisions with much consideration for the Sox, they only care what’s in their best interests.

The Phillies got outbid for Corbin & Happ, maybe you need to rethink what “Philly ridiculous” means.

This is all true and I’m guessing he’d rather go elsewhere, but who else would offer as much as the Sox, especially if the Phillies are out? To me, it almost seems like we’re destined for an arranged marriage if he’s looking for top dollar.

They wouldn’t be wasting their time if they weren’t prepared to make a ridiculous offer, not when the Yankees are involved.

For who though?

But there is reason to believe both of these teams are adhering to budgetary issues in the short-run. The Dodgers also seem unwilling to take on a massive long-term commitment, which aligns with Friedman’s history as a GM.

Which is the most likely scenario. I still maintain all the Yankees (Machado) & Dodgers (Harper) hype/speculation is agents using the typical big spenders to force the team eager to spend to up their bids.

No one for Sox. Bryce to Dodgers and Machado to the Phillies.

Do they though? San Diego is barely a top 30 media market and he’d have to pay the ridiculous California state taxes for half his games. I just don’t see it, even if it’s close to Las Vegas.

Bowden did put that quote in his Athletic article last night about where the top 15 remaining free agents would go. How Jim Bowden has connections to Manny’s friends and whether there is any truth to those statements remain to be seen. My guess is this is simply a game of telephone ad Bowden is taking what someone else “heard” and acting like it’s first hand knowledge.

Better than the Cubs or Dodgers.

Wow, this should be interesting.

They have to be if Bowden included them in an article he wrote last night.

Those mystery teams are interesting. I no doubt believe he’d like to go to the Dodgers or Cubs, but if those guys aren’t willing to pony up would he rather play in San Diego or Atlanta over Chicago if the money was the same. That’s the part I’m struggling with is you’d think the are prepared to spend as much as anyone on Harper but who knows.

My thing about the Dodgers is it sounds like they have no interest in going 10 years, so Bryce would really have to pass on a ton of guaranteed money to go there. I just can’t see that happening if the Sox or another team in a decent market is willing to play ball.

Sounds like they didn’t even meet with him at the Winter Meetings right?

I don’t see why we wouldn’t do the same thing and it seems like Harper would much rather play in Chicago than Philly.

And if Bowden actually heard this, then it’s from before his tour because there is no way in hell he talked to Manny’s friends last night before his Athletic article was published. Regardless, when it comes to the Yankees, we need to play to win and that means making an offer well above what we think he gets from them.

Care to elaborate?

No doubt, though I have wondered if Hal’s comments about the Johnny Hustle stuff “not playing here” created any sort of animosity towards the organization. These guys all have massive egos and it’s not far-fetched to think Manny didn’t take that comment too well, especially if the Sox & Phillies have been buttering him up and telling him he’s the best at everything.

Gotcha, and fully agree. Definitely seems like a plant on Machado’s side unless Manny immediately called up all his buddies last night and told them this and then they somehow called Bowden this morning to tell him.

What just happened here?

God I hate Jim Bowden. Not that I don’t believe him necessarily, more that he’s a complete hack. But I don’t see how this changes anything, because unless you believed Joe/Chili’s rumor, this what we have been assuming. The Sox (or Phillies) need to make sure there is enough separation in their offers to prevent him from fulfilling his dream of playing for the Yankees.

I guess we play chess differently then ?

This is going to be a long fucking day. I just need something, anything to scratch that itch. I’m literally fiending for some Machado rumors.