SCCWS

Also no football headlines on the "off" weekend. I think we all agree that it will be announced this weekend or it will not be announced this weekend.

We don't know if Manny is still insisting he play SS. Maybe he will let the team he signs w decide which is what we all would want. But there could also be Manny saying SS and whoever signs him agrees taking out the competition in ST. We shall see.

I would be shocked also. However, if either one does not like the choice(s) available, then maybe they d take a 1 year. I can see a player gambling on a 1 year if they are completely unhappy with the teams offering them. Agree they may be in the same boat next year, but a player may not want to go to a situation he does not like for 3 or 4 years before he can opt out. Sometimes the player's ego has to be satisfied.

We trade a draft pick to Yankees for the rights to A-Rod.

Both from Miami. https://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/manny-machado-alex-rodriguez-have-a-miami-connection-1.4083114 He was my favorite player growing up and I've always looked up to him since I've been playing baseball," Machado said

But there were few rumors at all about it. Boston media pretty much said it would happen and it finally got announced when ST started.

Agree but in hindsight, a player who is raw with some holes probably should have spent more time in AAA

Maybe the Russians

I am sure there are sleazy agents. But remember for an agent this is not a one and done. Teams are not going to get their info from the media. They are going to call the agent directly and get a feel or range where the bidding is. If Manny's agent tells Philly the White Sox offered $250 and they drop out and Manny signs for $175 that agent will have a hard time the next time he has a player up for a new contract. Agents want the most for their clients but I doubt they will lie as to actual offers they have. I am sure some of our posters have been involved in bidding in the workplace. There are ways to work the price up or down while maintaining your reputation.

Also if the Harper Vegas meeting went so well, he also would have signed. ,

I am waiting for the Manny to Japan rumor to start up................

Agree that 99% of the "news" is just opinions.

The way this process is going, some network is going to come in and ,make a reality TV show out of it. It has become a twitter soap opera. Tomorrow we will hear Harper goes back to Nats and Machado goes back to Dodgers. Then Machado and Machado will enter the NFL Draft.

White Sox fans have been on a roller coaster ride for weeks now. But imagine Moncada and Anderson this past week since their future could change drastically depending on what Machado decides.

Supposedly his source is the executive buyer of urinal cakes for a ML team on the West Coast.

I would agree other than I would change the players to the agents. I am sure the agents have a framework from the players as to teams and money. Then the players wait till the agent says he has the best deal for them. Supposedly these agents are also big rivals. There is so much "fodder" out there but I don't think we have seen any comments/quotes from either player in a while.

FWIW--I would say Tuesday or Wednesday. Tomorrow will still be NFL talk on Today's games and next week's match-ups.

Maybe the mystery team is in Japan.

I would think Tuesday/Wednesday would be optimal considering the attention the NFL Playoffs get.

But Soxtalk is terrible framing pitches.

Eagles are in the Playoffs. Not sure about Machado and his agent. But Boras waited to announce JD Martinez last year until the bulk of the media had descended on Florida for ST.

I think the Tuesday/Wednesday window seems more likely. Boras for one will want full attention, not the big story after the NFL Playoffs.

There are media people everywhere voicing there opinions ( most probably just hunches). But the ESPN FA update article on Sunday/Monday had the Nats as the favorite for Harper.

Nice analysis. One note is that there is probably a lot of BS that has been floated. But Jon Heyman posted when this all started, that Manny said he wanted to return to a team the East Coast. Like the demand to play SS, we don't know how high that is on his wish list.

I think we have to let this play out before we judge Manny. This is the age of the athlete calling the shots if they have enough status. Lebron, Antonio Brown and Jimmy Butler are a few examples where the team did not come first. If Manny is upfront and says SS is his desire, then the GM needs to determine if he is worth the disruption. If the Phillies and Sox are the finalists and both say 3B or nothing, then Manny may have to fins another "cheaper" option