32 minutes ago, Jose Abreu said:

It would check off the "left handed bat" box, which is as of now only occupied long-term by Collins. Also would likely be a better move for marketing/exposure, even though Machado is the better player 

Seems like that is far from an established fact.  Harper is the better hitter, Manny the better defender (at 3B, at SS... eh not really anything special).  Manny had his best ever OPS this season, his first over .900.  Harper has had 2 over 1.000.  Machado's career high in BB is 70 (twice!).  Harper has walked over 100 times 3 times including a high of 130 this season.  Power- wise, well they average about the same HRs/162 (32-31 in Harper's favor).  Really the plate discipline is the biggest difference.  That is something that I think could have tremendous value to the White Sox.  Certainly something the lack currently.  

I'm thrilled with either, but I would prefer Harper.  

4 minutes ago, turnin' two said:

Seems like that is far from an established fact.  Harper is the better hitter, Manny the better defender (at 3B, at SS... eh not really anything special).  Manny had his best ever OPS this season, his first over .900.  Harper has had 2 over 1.000.  Machado's career high in BB is 70 (twice!).  Harper has walked over 100 times 3 times including a high of 130 this season.  Power- wise, well they average about the same HRs/162 (32-31 in Harper's favor).  Really the plate discipline is the biggest difference.  That is something that I think could have tremendous value to the White Sox.  Certainly something the lack currently.  

I'm thrilled with either, but I would prefer Harper.  

Harper is the better offensive player, yes. But Machado's defense at 3B is nothing short of elite- he's firmly in the Arenado/Chapman tier over there. The slight difference in their offensive prowess is outweighed, in my opinion, by their stark differences defensively. This is all assuming Machado is playing 3B.  

4 minutes ago, turnin' two said:

Seems like that is far from an established fact.  Harper is the better hitter, Manny the better defender (at 3B, at SS... eh not really anything special).  Manny had his best ever OPS this season, his first over .900.  Harper has had 2 over 1.000.  Machado's career high in BB is 70 (twice!).  Harper has walked over 100 times 3 times including a high of 130 this season.  Power- wise, well they average about the same HRs/162 (32-31 in Harper's favor).  Really the plate discipline is the biggest difference.  That is something that I think could have tremendous value to the White Sox.  Certainly something the lack currently.  

I'm thrilled with either, but I would prefer Harper.  

I think if you went by WAR, neither one would beat the other one 5 years straight. Pretty much a toss up IMO, but if the price was the same I would prefer Harper due to his mystique. IMO, if you asked 100 casual fans who was the better player, 90 of them would say Harper. He is the better draw. I think there are more people from LaGrange who would go to a White Sox game to see Bryce Harper, than to see Manny Machado. But I'd take either one.

They'll absolutely run a lowball offer for both, something like 8/240, and then when that doesn't even get close, Hahn will say the same thing he always does when he strikes out.

1 minute ago, daggins said:

They'll absolutely run a lowball offer for both, something like 8/240, and then when that doesn't even get close, Hahn will say the same thing he always does when he strikes out.

We saw an opportunity to accelerate the rebuild, and were aggressive, but ultimately the price did not make sense for us.  We will continue to explore every opportunity to make our team better, with the ultimate goal of sustained winning, and multiple championships. 

1 minute ago, Dick Allen said:

We saw an opportunity to accelerate the rebuild, and were aggressive, but ultimately the price did not make sense for us.  We will continue to explore every opportunity to make our team better, with the ultimate goal of sustained winning, and multiple championships. 

Wow, that's perfect lol I can picture him saying exactly that lol

Edited November 5, 20187 yr by soxfan2014

Just now, Dick Allen said:

I think if you went by WAR, neither one would beat the other one 5 years straight. Pretty much a toss up IMO, but if the price was the same I would prefer Harper due to his mystique. IMO, if you asked 100 casual fans who was the better player, 90 of them would say Harper. He is the better draw. I think there are more people from LaGrange who would go to a White Sox game to see Bryce Harper, than to see Manny Machado. But I'd take either one.

Here in La Grange is filled with Cub fans that don't even go to their own team's games.  

3 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

We saw an opportunity to accelerate the rebuild, and were aggressive, but ultimately the price did not make sense for us.  We will continue to explore every opportunity to make our team better, with the ultimate goal of sustained winning, and multiple championships. 

You are on fire today lol

The only thing you missed was posing a question to yourself to answer.

40 minutes ago, Jack Parkman said:

Harper also allows the Sox to use their corner OF prospects in trades to fill other holes. If they land Harper, any OF other than Robert, Gonzalez and Basabe become instant trade bait, actually you could probably use one of the three above in a trade and have CF filled anyway. Blake Rutherford might be an option for CF as well. 

 

I thought you didn't deem Harper and Machado worth of conversation?  Insert eye roll emoji.  

Dear lord, how f'in cool would it be if the Sox just through their wang on the table and signed both.  My lord I would be a happy happy happy happy man.  

3 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

Dear lord, how f'in cool would it be if the Sox just through their wang on the table and signed both.  My lord I would be a happy happy happy happy man.  

You had a better chance of winning both  the Powerball and Mega Millions last week. 

Just now, Dick Allen said:

You had a better chance of winning both  the Powerball and Mega Millions last week. 

Let the people have some excitement, you wet towel.  

The only restraint I have in signing both of them is the fact that our rotation is unpredictable garbage and we wouldn't have any money left for the future or to revamp the rotation.  

13 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

I think if you went by WAR, neither one would beat the other one 5 years straight. Pretty much a toss up IMO, but if the price was the same I would prefer Harper due to his mystique. IMO, if you asked 100 casual fans who was the better player, 90 of them would say Harper. He is the better draw. I think there are more people from LaGrange who would go to a White Sox game to see Bryce Harper, than to see Manny Machado. But I'd take either one.

I agree but man do Harper’s defensive metrics look terrible.  Like I don’t see how he physically could be that bad out there.  Does moving him to LF help at all?  I have no interest whatsoever in playing him at 1B.

1 minute ago, Dick Allen said:

You had a better chance of winning both  the Powerball and Mega Millions last week. 

This is pretty far from the truth 

1 minute ago, Chicago White Sox said:

I agree but man do Harper’s defensive metrics look terrible.  Like I don’t see how he physically could be that bad out there.  Does moving him to LF help at all?  I have no interest whatsoever in playing him at 1B.

How's Eloy's defense supposed to be? If you had each in a corner, you'd pretty much have to have Engel out there next year in the 9-spot.

Screw it! Sign both!!! They are what, 26, 27?  Didn't they both play together in club ball with Delmonico?

Sign both so SoxTalk can complain about it in 2 years.

14 minutes ago, ChiSox59 said:

I thought you didn't deem Harper and Machado worth of conversation?  Insert eye roll emoji.  

I was frustrated for about 2 months or so and went on an overly pessimistic streak. I'm over that. I needed to vent in the form of overt negativity. 

1 hour ago, soxfan2014 said:

It's not suggesting they get both haha one or the other. My point above was if you want to sign one to a $300m deal and he signs somewhere else, you should have interest in the other. Both would be great additions.

Machado is the better player, Harper is the bigger star. I think the Sox love Harper's big name as he is an advertising and ratings machine. ESPN would have us on the air every week and by 2020 they'd be giving us Jenna Jameson's. 

11 minutes ago, soxfan2014 said:

How's Eloy's defense supposed to be? If you had each in a corner, you'd pretty much have to have Engel out there next year in the 9-spot.

Signing Harper pretty much condemns Eloy to 1B in the long-run.  But yeah, you’d need a pretty good defensive CF like Engel in between them.

18 minutes ago, iWiN4PreP said:

The only restraint I have in signing both of them is the fact that our rotation is unpredictable garbage and we wouldn't have any money left for the future or to revamp the rotation.  

Yeah not even sure about FA, but want enough flexibility to take a hamels/verlander type player that have paid off so well for teams recently.

1 minute ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Signing Harper pretty much condemns Eloy to 1B in the long-run.  But yeah, you’d need a pretty good defensive CF like Engel in between them.

Has anyone actually said Eloy's defense is bad? Because it seems like scouts seem to think he's long term viable in RF. Is this just a case of people thinking "well the bat is great so the defense must be terrible" or is there actually something to this notion that Eloy is bad defensively?

1 minute ago, bmags said:

Yeah not even sure about FA, but want enough flexibility to take a hamels/verlander type player that have paid off so well for teams recently.

If this team wants to compete with the big boys, they'll eventually have to pay payroll like the big boys. They aren't my dollars to spend, but if having two big contracts on the books is going to restrict the White Sox from doing other things to improve the team, this whole process seems pointless, because even if they don't go big in free agency, they'll have to pay their own eventually.

10 minutes ago, Dam8610 said:

Has anyone actually said Eloy's defense is bad? Because it seems like scouts seem to think he's long term viable in RF. Is this just a case of people thinking "well the bat is great so the defense must be terrible" or is there actually something to this notion that Eloy is bad defensively?

I honestly have no idea. If Eloy can be at least average defense in RF, I'm perfectly fine with Harper in LF.