Pursuit of Manny Machado Could Be Tilting in Favor of White Sox
White Sox pursuit of top free agent could be tilting in their favor according to recent rumors, reports on the offseason.
The White Sox recently signed a close friend of Manny Machado in Jon Jay. They’ve already acquired his brother-in-law Yonder Alonso earlier this offseason. With the Sox reportedly offering the superstar free agent a contract, could they be in a better position to sign Machado than other teams?
According to a recent report, the sweepstakes to sign Machado is down to the Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies. The New York Yankees are reportedly unlikely to sign Machado. This gives the Sox a solid advantage as they will only be bidding against the Phillies.
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Bob Nightengale of USA Today tweeted on Thursday morning that Jay passed his physical with the Sox and signing Machado was next on the team’s agenda. According to Nightengale, Machado has been offered a contract of about $200 million from the Sox.
Entering this offseason, it was expected that Machado along with Bryce Harper could sign record-breaking contracts. However, it appears the price could have gone down for Machado. Despite Machado’s agents reportedly seeking a contract of $300 million and more, it doesn’t seem like the Sox or even the Phillies will be close according to Jon Heyman.
This could greatly work in the favor of the Sox. Although the Sox still have some payroll flexibility for 2019 and beyond, signing Machado to a seven-year deal with an annual salary of $35 million works to benefit of the Sox. He would likely not prevent the Sox from signing their young talent before they reach free agency.
The Sox could very well sign Machado but despite all the rumors and reports that hint towards the Chicago franchise gaining momentum, the decision to sign is still up to him. If Machado needed another reason to sign with the Sox, Richard Justice of MLB.com provided seven reasons why he or Harper should join the team.
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For Sox fans who have been eagerly awaiting which team Machado will sign with, his decision could come soon. If Machado does choose to sign with the Sox, there will be a lot of excitement at SoxFest. If Machado signs elsewhere, the Sox could always go in a different direction.