Because I am both embarrassed and worried. 

We get his brother-in-law for $9 million when there's no place to play him ? That's not enough so we then sign his other MIami training partner? Did White Sox keep Castillo at catcher and get rid of the other two because Castillo is a Machado buddy? 

Too me, there is a level of desperation here that is approaching pathetic. It's embarrassing, and it's gonna be super/ ultra/ meta (pick your adjective of choice) embarassing if Sox did all this and then don't get Machado. Seriously, signing his buddies and then not signing Machado will make the Sox a laughing stock of the league, and much worse, of the fans on the North Side. 

Plus I have another worry. What if we do sign him? Are we creating a prima donna who will be impossible to control. If we have a Machado and his buddies clubhouse, who is gonna really be running the team? Are the Sox setting themselves up for a situation like Lebron James had in Cleveland? James ran the Cavaliers for a while there. He told the owners to fire the coach and bring him his choice as coach and the Cleveland owners did what he said. He told them who to trade and trades to make and the owners did that too. If once we do get Manny, isn't there a real possibility that this could happen with the White Sox. 

First of all, there are indications that Machado can be a problem: the dirty play (stomping 1st basemen's feet). There's also the lazy play; you know you're lazy when you get booed in LA during the World Series. So, he does have issues coming in. 

So we got his buddies for him. Is it really a stretch to think that he will imput and where and when his buddies play? If he's unhappy because his buddies aren't playing, is it the really that hard to to think that word might come down from up high that his buddies need to be playing more and at whatever position they want? If he's unhappy with Renteria for getting on him to hustle more and work harder, is Rick gone? I could see this happening. Couldn't you?

Also, what position is Machado going to play?  We all assume 3rd base. But doesn't he prefer shortstop? What if he insists on playing short?  Is it bye bye Anderson after the Sox invested all that time in him and he's finally ready to start paying off. 

By looking at some of the comments on the various threads, I think there are some who agree with me that our pursuit of Machodo has become . . . . something. 

I am more embarrassed that somehow we should be doing less to attract top free agent talent.

Did we just "get rid" of Narvaez?  I feel like you're simplifying it too much.  We got a hell of a bullpen arm for essentially a BAD catcher. 

Yonder and Jay are also MLB caliber players and there's definite benefits to having them on the roster.  We desperately needed guys that can take a pitcher deep in counts and not strikeout like crazy.  If those two were utterly worthless talents I'd say you're right but they both make us better.

The only embarrassing thing would be if they don't blow away every other offer for him.  That's the only thing that matters ultimately, not all these guys on 1 year deals making pennies.

Just now, jenksycat said:

The only embarrassing thing would be if they don't blow away every other offer for him.  That's the only thing that matters ultimately, not all these guys on 1 year deals making pennies.

Yup, that's where it gets embarassing imo, we can't let the big boys crush us with their wallets.

No

4 minutes ago, jenksycat said:

The only embarrassing thing would be if they don't blow away every other offer for him.  That's the only thing that matters ultimately, not all these guys on 1 year deals making pennies.

This.

If they made these moves and then tried to get him on a deal on their own terms while the Phillies offered more (or the Yankees offered a bit less or the same and signed him), then yes, it would be very embarrassing.

Edited January 8, 20197 yr by soxfan2014

Only if it fails. 

 

If it works, it's genius. 

 

But  the hey nice try doesn't fly. It doesn't fly with Avi Garcia. It doesn't fly with Adam Engel. They bust their ass every game, but no one wants them around. If RH, KW bust their ass and try everything and it fails, same thing. Find the door. 

What I’ve read about Jay and Alonso is they’re high character guys and come with very little baggage. Who knows if that could have an influence or not on Machado?

24 minutes ago, vilehoopster said:

24 minutes ago, vilehoopster said:

Plus I have another worry. What if we do sign him? Are we creating a prima donna who will be impossible to control. If we have a Machado and his buddies clubhouse, who is gonna really be running the team?

 

Harper will keep him in line.

Edited January 8, 20197 yr by South Side Fireworks Man

No.

Sure hope we’re building a LeBron in Cleveland situation.  That’d be neat.

Nah, if he does sign here everyone will be praising him for making these “embarrassing” commitments. Sometimes you have to shoot your shot at the risk of embarrassment and getting rejected. 

1 minute ago, shipps said:

Nah, if he does sign here everyone will be praising him for making these “embarrassing” commitments. Sometimes you have to shoot your shot at the risk of embarrassment and getting rejected. 

Exactly. This is an aggressive, all-in strategy, and those are the strategies you need when you're courting a generational talent. 

The only thing I've been concerned about is that we are desperate enough to get him that we promise him SS opposed to 3B.  But as someone pointed out earlier, he was probably only going for SS last year because he thought that would get him more money in free agency.

It does concern me that you are a catering a bit too much on the personnel aspect to get him.   You don't want to have him walk into that locker room  thinking he owns it like a Sammy Sosa.   Plus you have a micro-manager in Renteria who doesn't play favoritism. 

 

 

At the current state of negotiations these are not "embarrassing" attempts to lure. 

32 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I am more embarrassed that somehow we should be doing less to attract top free agent talent.

Yup.  I'm way more embarrassed by the last 10 seasons of White Sox baseball.

If Machado signs, not at all.

If he doesn't, kinda.

11 minutes ago, Jose Abreu said:

Exactly. This is an aggressive, all-in strategy, and those are the strategies you need when you're courting a generational talent. 

Get your back up off the the wall.

51 minutes ago, southsider2k5 said:

I am more embarrassed that somehow we should be doing less to attract top free agent talent.

Agreed. Why wouldn't they try everything.

45 minutes ago, Dick Allen said:

Only if it fails. 

 

If it works, it's genius. 

 

But  the hey nice try doesn't fly. It doesn't fly with Avi Garcia. It doesn't fly with Adam Engel. They bust their ass every game, but no one wants them around. If RH, KW bust their ass and try everything and it fails, same thing. Find the door. 

Very machiavellian.  Ends justify the means. 

32 minutes ago, Rowand44 said:

Sure hope we’re building a LeBron in Cleveland situation.  That’d be neat.

Not even close. The Sox brought in two decent-at-worst major league veterans who are not known to be clubhouse troublemakers. The Cavs weren't able to sign Lebron's superstar friends to play with them, but instead had his doofus man-child parasite friends running around the Cavs facilities like they owned the place. Not in the same zip code.

No

46 minutes ago, DH in the NL said:

What I’ve read about Jay and Alonso is they’re high character guys and come with very little baggage. Who knows if that could have an influence or not on Machado?

Quoted for emphasis.

I highly doubt Jay and Alonso are the kind of guys who would come in and shut off their clique to everyone else. What mystifies me the most is that while Machado is seemingly so hated by other players around the league, he also seems to have a TON of friends. If Manny signs, I look forward to Yolmer becoming one of his new besties. I think Jay and Alonso know that part of the deal with them is not just to play baseball, but to develop a positive clubhouse culture through a losing season. There can be no BS and fingerpointing when the team loses 8 of the last 10, just picking each other up and playing baseball.