Flash Tizzle

I agree with this. I won’t be attending any games in 2019, but they risk receiving an unfair brunt of fan unhappiness. It’s not fair to them because they’re forever associated with the failed Machado sweepstakes

I do remember you saying that. There’s never a good time to lose out on a FA that the entire fanbase was following for months, but Jesus — right before Spring Training? Atleast he has basically eliminated us from Harper too. No use trying to hold onto that slim chance

What winning product!? Lol. He just admitted it though, they’re never going to be in the market for a top tier FA. When will it ever be feasible to Uncle Jerrys liking?

And Soxbadger is usually positive Next thing you know Ss2k5 will be joining us in bashing the Sox!

They were probably so dead set on not negotiating against themselves and Probably thought the Padres were just in it to drive up the value. Well, this is one of the terrible White Sox moments no one can spin. A good friend of mine is cancelling his ticket plan and i dont blame him

Of course you can think positive, but everything they’ve done and suggested through sources has been Machado is their guy. It’s not like Phillies got him and now we’re by ourselves bidding on Harper.

Terrible. Thats not unreasonable

Wow and to think I was optimistic they’d sign Machado NO way they’d risk embarrassment trading for Alonso and signing Jay.... NO way . Well there’s no spin here. No reason to fail. This is a terrible day for the rebuild and this organization

When someone like Gomez or Rosenthal tweets Padres are close to finalizing a deal......then it’s time to panic.

That’s why I’ve been optimistic of our chances. Would Hahn trade for Alonso and sign Jay as a way around paying him more....to just add 13 million in another spot? Hahn is intelligent enough to understand playing alongside friends/family doesn’t justify Machado turning down millions. For it to happen had to mean something more than Machado making demands

I still have these optimistic feeling that we’ll look back after this and realize it was obvious from the Alonso deal we had it in the bag. No one makes that trade unless it’s just about guaranteed to pay off with Machado in some way. Now, the issue is Machado (and his agent) don’t want to look like fools if, for example, Harper signs for 50 million more dollars. I’m sure in some way they are aware what Harper is receiving. Machado tells the White Sox if you match any offer, you’ll be the winners. They sit back and have an offer, but are aware other teams such as the Padres may swoop in. However, they have the last say in anything. That’s what I think Jay and Alonso bought them. He’s not going to turn down money to play here; but he’ll give us the respect we showed him by bringing aboard friends/family

Then you are accepting that they’ll never land a FA onpar with Harper or Machado. It will never be more perfect for us than what is happening with limited interest among teams and two premiere players being available to split interest I am on board with at any costs for either one of those two. If we miss out, then what? Wait for Arenado or Trout? Continue doing what we’re doing and scrape up the 2nd/3rd tier FAs?

Also that percentage will be lowered with an inevitable payroll increase that comes with fan interest/increased attendance

Yes that’s what it’s going to take

This entire ordeal has made me so numb, even if the Sox sign Machado and officially announce it, I still don’t think I’ll believe it. “This is all just high level negotiating tactics”

What’s a realistic expectation though? We cannot have this rebuild move forward unless players like Moncada and Giolitto take huge strides forward. And quickly. Everyone cant be on a “well, let’s wait 3-4 years for them to adjust” timeline or else this rebuild won’t work. Eventually, someone like Jimenez or Cease needs to be an instant star. Every team who has successfully rebuilt their team has had the instant breakout prospects. That’s how we’ll sustain success, by having a core group of prospects contributing alongside the veterans.

It’ll be impossible to excuse. I don’t care who says, “Wait to know their offer before criticizing” or “Guys, both just wanted to really play for Philadelphia,” it’ll be a terrible blow to the franchise. They’ll deserve all the criticism coming their way. However, I still have hope they’ll get Machado. In the beginning with the Yankees I was very skeptical, but as talks have progressed I’m confident they wouldn’t risk embarrassing themselves signing Jay and trading for Alonso to lose out. Right?

Well there’s what probably amounts to the truth. If Jay and Alonso are giving us anything it’s a slight edge if what we’re offering is similar to Phillies/“mystery team”

Lol cmon guys i said i fear it, not that I believe it. Anyways it wouldn’t be Cease it’d likely be Rodan. You can’t tell me if Hahn(again in a hypothetical overpay) offered Eloy/Abreu/Rodan for Arenado/etc they wouldn’t accept in an instant. He is leaving Colorado, playoff team or not. Are they losing him for nothing? But really, some of you guys need to unwind a bit. This is just as likely as the Sox getting Harper and Machado lol

I have this fear Hahn packages Cease/Eloy/Abreu to Colorado for Arenado. The backlash will be so intense and brutal if we miss out on the whales, that I worry he’ll panic and throw out an offer that Colorado can’t refuse. We’re sure as hell not outbidding anyone for Arenado on the market, so this is the route we’d have to take to negotiate a contract with an elite hitter.

I don’t believe it’s wrong to suggest our entire plan, whether it moves one direction or another, depends on this one player. Does Hahn sign Pollock/Kuechel (for example) if he doesn’t bring in Machado? I’m not so sure.

Well, then pay them enough to make them change their minds. And wasn’t this the entire reason we brought aboard Jay and Alonso?

I can’t speak for Greensox, but my problem is not the potential 14 game improvement but the roster itself. Are we excited because this is the start of a potential White Sox dynasty and these players will be working together for many years? Or (as I see it) we’d be assembling together various veteran players and calling it progress under a false premise of improvement. Especially if Moustakas is just here to waste time for two years. Wasn’t this how Hahn went about assembling teams every year prior to the rebuild? That doesn’t excite me. I believe Balta has termed this the “Hahn Special”

If it works awesome, but honestly —is this is what we have to do to convince premier FAs to sign with us? Anyone else feel it’s just....kind of sad?

There’s no, “even if it doesn’t work.” It better work.