steveno89

That would be a terrible decision in my opinion. You are suggesting essentially a 5/250 million deal which is beyond insanity. Where is the upside for the white Sox in a deal like that?

Even if we signed both Machado/Harper, I still strongly question if we would even make the playoffs in 2019? Rotation and bullpen have a ton to prove.

Bowden @ the Athletic predicts 10/320 for Harper and 10/310 for Machado Major money each way, but interestingly suggest that Machado might fit best on a team where he does not have to be the face of the franchise.

I think Harper and Machado sign by the end of December. The rest of the market will likely be waiting for them to sign and get the ball rolling. There will be plenty of interest in that holding out for more money isn't likely to get them more in January than it would in December.

It would be pretty crazy if the Sox did not at least TRY to sign one of Harper or Machado. I won't blame them if they can't get it done, but I certainly would be pissed if they cried poor and did not try.

I'm not sure if his comments are based on rumors he has heard, or the fact that the Sox have barely anything on the books moving forward and it makes sense for them to be involved? I'll believe the Sox will try for both players, but I'm still skeptical they get it done.

Even if one was an optimistic Sox fan, I would not go that far. All it takes is another team or two to drive the bidding to an uncomfortable level for us to be playing at. Surprise suitors could exist, trades could be made, etc. You just cannot be that sure about anything at this stage of the offseason. Heck, maybe neither Machado or Harper want to play in Chicago? Who knows?

I think this free agent class is actually far more underwhelming than predicted. Donaldson no doubt had a down year, as did many players hitting free agency. Past Harper/Machado/Corbin/Keuchel/Grandal/Kimbrel there are not loads of players I would expect to sign for more than $50 million.

Landing one big name now puts less pressure on them to sign a player like Arenado in free agency next year. At some point they do need to be willing to spend to help build a competitive roster. I wouldn't be surprised if they looked into the trade market to acquire talent either. Eloy, Kopech, and likely Cease/Robert are probably considered "untouchable", but pretty much anyone else is fair game to be dealt.

I could see signing one premium free agent to be a part of our rebuilding plan, but two is out of the question at this point.

For a team that has never shelled out a 100+ million contract, to suggest that we would dish out (2) likely $300+ million contracts in one offseason is insanity. Frankly, I would be concerned if our rebuilding plan was centered around spending $600+ million on two players to fill holes. That is just not prudent to building a winning roster.

There is some truth in what you are saying. Sometimes you are better off paying for "known" production, than trying to cobble it together across several free agents. Sox are prepared to be aggressive in the Machado/Harper markets, but I don't think we should lose sight of the second and third tier free agents we should also be looking at. Buying low on the right player(s) can be lucrative.

Any rumored interest for us to pursue Grandal? He is certainly going to get paid, but he would lock down our catching position for the next (3-5) seasons with Narvaez. Legitimate questions about Collins and Zavala defensively do not make me feel as if the position is settled long term.

Putting that much payroll into two players just is not a smart decision. Remember we still need starting pitching and bullpen help, and not everything can be home grown. Giving Harper/Machado such massive deals would handcuff our ability to spend elsewhere for years.

Josh Donaldson could be a decent buy low option on a 2/40 type of deal? We are still easily a year away from really contending, but he could help on a much cheaper deal.

Assuming nearly everyone else on the roster is barely getting paid? Then sure we end up around 130 million. We still would be far short of building a competitive roster even if we added both Harper/Machado hypothetically. This team still has numerous holes to fill as currently constructed.

I don't think the Nationals are desperate to keep Harper with Robles likely being ready soon. With Eaton, Soto and Robles their outfield is pretty set.

A likely +$600 million offseason? I'd be pretty surprised if we land one, let alone both. Long term payroll flexibility would swiftly be out the window, and I'm not even certain adding them both makes us a playoff team with the way the rest of the roster is constructed. With the payroll being as low as it is, there is no way to cry poor during the bidding process. I can't help but feel it might be more shrewd to sign shorter term free agents for substantially less money though.

ABSOLUTELY NOT^

Grienke is not getting moved unless the DBacks are willing to eat substantial amounts of that salary. I'm just guessing, but I think it would take at least $30 million of that deal to even get teams talking to them about a trade.

If Madrigal projected to have slightly above or even average power potential then I think he clearly would go 1:1 in the draft given his other tools. The wrist injury set him back, but he should still project for 10-15 homers down the line given how much contact he makes.

As other posters have mentioned, many of those clubs luxury tax penalties have reset, making the overage tax only 20%. The clubs I listed all have plenty of money to chase premium free agents and can sell them a team ready to win now. I think the Sox will be involved, but how much so remains a question mark. Sox do have plenty of money to spend if they want to though. At some point we need to go out an acquire a few cornerstone pieces to help supplement the lineup.

Not necessarily. Sometimes if you place a similar value on players internally you can opt for a below slot deal that helps your draft as a whole. Everything is relative to the situation

Sure, but from a value standpoint I'd rather look elsewhere than 1B/DH with a top 5 pick. There is so much time for players not on the radar right now to emerge that it is difficult to assess much. Sox typically are linked to more developed college prospects vs. high school talent that is 4-5 years away from the majors.

If the 1B is truly the BPA then we consider it, but I doubt that becomes the case is what I meant. The draft would have to be pretty thin for me to be considering a 1B/DH that high up. We should be looking for pitching or up the middle talent. I wouldn't be against a premium high school talent either.