As we all know by now Manny Machado signed with the San Diego Padres for 10 years at $300,000. The White Sox were allegedly the “runner up” until Manny came out and said that he always intended to go to San Diego. Was I surprised that he went there? No. Was I surprised he did not end up in Chicago? No.
The Big Jack and I had discussed in several occasions that Manny fit with both of these teams but we also had no reservations that he could fit with every team in the MLB with the exception of the Dodgers and Baltimore. The Dodgers have a young superstar short stop in Corey Seager and third base is locked with Justin Turner. I think it was plain fully obvious that he wasn’t returning to the Orioles.
Like I said, he would have fit well on the south side of Chicago, whether it was at short or third. The White Sox “did all the right things” with signing and trading family and friends that are in his inner circle. However, I think that was the bigger mistake rather than not signing Machado. Saturday morning as I listened to Chicago’s, the Score and Inside the Clubhouse, Bruce Levine, who covers the Sox & Cubs for the station, alleged that the White Sox offers was for 8 years at roughly $250,000.00 with options for the following two years and with incentives that could get him up to $350,000.00. He of course went with the guaranteed $300,000.00 that has an opt out after 5 years, which to me, the Padres better hope that he performs at high level where he chooses to opt out, otherwise they’ll be in the same boat as the Angels, Tigers and Mariners.
I unlike most White Sox fans and media, do not think the Sox dropped the ball one bit. Did they miss out? Currently, yes. But I have been a proponent of incentive based contracts. After watching what the Yankees had gone through and even now with the Tigers and Miggy’s contract, I have been a big believer in incentive based contracts. I’m all for players getting what they are worth but when a player is getting payed $20 million plus a year to essentially come off the bench, how does that help the team? It is a TEAM sport. It’s not tennis. It’s not Greco Roman wrestling. Even if the team just lets the player go, the team is still responsible for that contract.
I know what I am saying is not popular but I truly believe that the White Sox made the right decision. I know that this decision wasn’t easy to take but if you want to hear it directly from Rick Hahn himself, give his interview a listen from The Score.
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