The White Sox may have failed in their pursuit of Manny Machado for now. But they were able to keep their future intact.
The Chicago White Sox were in on Manny Machado until the end but ultimately were unable to strike a deal. Sure it would’ve been nice to add a perennial All-Star and a top 10 player in all of baseball. But they weren’t able to pry him away from Baltimore. It’s a wonder if the Orioles were ever serious about trading him.
Because of the Sox failed pursuit of Machado, their bright future remains intact. Meaning, they didn’t have to surrender any player from their talented farm system and now can focus on other things. Then, they can take a run at him next offseason.
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The Sox are in a great spot. They have a young core being developed at the major league level and they have a ton of talent in the farm system. All that should add up to success in the near future. It just might not be in 2018. However, a poor showing in 2018 would allow them to get another top draft pick in 2019, thus allowing them to add more talent.
This all came down to value. Baltimore apparently wasn’t happy with the value teams were offering for Machado and teams obviously didn’t want to give more than they offered. We don’t know specifics but reports suggested the White Sox kept all their top prospects off the table. Smart, considering you’re only guaranteed one season with Machado. That definitely hurts trade value when a player is not controllable.
The White Sox made the offer on the basis that Machado would only be on the South Side for a season. It seems like they’re not confident in their ability to sign him long term. But when you’re talking about what value to give a player, you should think worst-case scenario. They may very well have had a shot at resigning him but he is going to test free agency. That’s a given.
The real prize will be if they are able to make a competitive offer and sign him during the next offseason. That would be a huge coup for Rick Hahn. They would add one of the best players in the game without having to get rid of a single asset. All they would have to do is write a check. And what better way to spend money than on a guy who could be the face of the franchise for the next decade?
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Remember fans, the Sox don’t need to necessarily trade for him. They could easily make a pitch to him in free agency, where their money will speak volumes. Hopefully, Jerry Reinsdorf and the rest of the White Sox ownership group is ready to open the checkbook. Because that may be the deciding factor.