I'm not sure signing him is the best move for the Sox. It's a lot of money tied up in one guy. So I'm not going to be upset. I think you have to estimate his value and make your offer accordingly. With today's stats everyone knows what he's likely to give you and exactly what that's worth. If Philadelphia wants to proudly spend stupidly, let them.

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

There is no league cap. There are certainly limits set by organizations.


Lester’s deliberations are described in great detail by author Jeff Passan in his groundbreaking new book, “The Arm,” which confirms contemporary reports that the Giants offered the left-hander the biggest contract before he signed a six-year, $155 million deal with the Cubs.

“The Giants were more money, but for me they could have offered me $300 million,” Lester said. “It wasn’t about money. It was about what we felt would be the right fit for us.


What would it take for you to believe it?

This is interesting. I thought you and I were on the same page when it came to him and Harper. I think we need a guy like Machado to help us take the next step. There isn't another free agent who makes our lineup dangerous.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

More than Jeff Passan. If the Giants offered eight years for $175 million, is that more?

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Waddle was on with Kap earlier arguing you give him whatever he wants to come here , whether it’s 1,2 or 10 years because you’re the lowest payroll anyway and you have to spend the money somewhere . Kap said no shot to anything under 4 years because he doesn’t want the guy you’re ostensibly building the team around to be able to leave when you’re finally ready to win.

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Proud member of the white guy grievance committee

It aint the six minutes. Its what happens in those six minutes.

I disagree. It's a monumental moment for the franchise. There's only been a couple of them. Fisk and Belle. One worked out and one didn't but nevertheless you have to grab that moment.

Well, there's a lot of history that indicates it's hard to win when such a high percentage of your payroll is devoted to one player.

I think it's obvious Harper is the better bat, but he's also riskier. He plays an unimportant position. Machado is going to give you something even if he has a down year with the bat which he likely will some time over the course of seven seasons.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Without looking, my impression is that Machado is the more consistent hitter but won't have the peaks or valleys like Harper. I agree completely on the defense.

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Agreed.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

This says very little. The offer could have been 156 with an aditional year....that's technically more money, but worse terms.

Tom Brady is one example that's legit. It's football, thouh, and that hard salary cap makes a big difference.

We could make a long list of players that were written to have taken less to be a Cub...doesn't make it true and I don't buy it. If the money is noticeably different, the baseball FA is going with the biggest money. The Players Association is there to ensure that happens.

Nardi is right....This is Buster Olney and we're likely debating FICTION.

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But you don't have to spend the money anyway. You could take a run at Arenado next year. I consider him more of a "winning-type" player than either of these guys.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Excellent point. They wouldn't let ARod sign with the Red Sox because of that.

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Is that true? That seems crazy that they can literally force a player to sign with a team he doesn’t want to.

_________________
Fare you well, fare you well
I love you more than words can tell
Listen to the river sing sweet songs
To rock my soul

They can't exactly force him, but if you take $20 million less because your wife likes the weather in L.A. better than Detroit, you're going to be a pariah among your fellow players and your agent may quit. This goes back to our discussion about unions the other day. Sometimes you have to do shit that benefits the collective or you don't really have a union.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

You don't know what next year brings. THIS year it appears this All Star is within our grasp. I actually wanted Machado more after he spiked the 1st baseman who was hogging the bag and then lingering with his size 14s. I like that sort of AJ winning attitude.

I don't care that he spiked some dope at first, but that "I'm not a hustler" stuff isn't really great. Anyway, those things have undoubtedly lowered his price.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

THIS.
a lot of things happen in one year. I'd even argue you go after Arenado next year. That would be a pretty bad ass 3B and SS combo. I'm pretty sure the OF is covered in the Minors.

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He was trying to agree to take less on a contract that had already been agreed upon and signed (the original Texas deal)

Not even close to stopping a free agent for signing for less.

The union isnt stopping anyone from giving a team a hometown discount, etc

I did kinda conveniently forget that no hustle thing. But he just said out loud what the majority think. Maddon's respect 90 was hypocrisy as we all saw.

Doesn't really seem like a difference if it's agreed to by the player. If the Cubs and Dodgers agreed to trade Heyward, and Heyward agreed to restructure and/or take less money for a change of scenery, shouldn't that be allowed?

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The "union" can't really stop anyone from doing anything. There are certain protocols though. Re-signing with your team for a bit less is accepted in a way that a free agent jumping teams for less money isn't. And it doesn't really ever happen (with the exception of all the guys who just want to play for the Cubs for the minimum).

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Another who just chooses not believe the reports. That's fine but to act like its crazy to bring up, after the player himself and a reporter documenting the negotiations says it, is a little weird.

And the MLBPA isn't even privy to every offer, so what you're suggesting is actually impossible.


Look, I get the thought that it's just Cubs lore and most often (95%) players take the most money but to act like a player has never taken less money is crazy and the Lester thing seems to be true.

The offer was reportedly 168 over the same 6 years. Cubs got him for 6/155

I believe the MLBPA does have control in that instance. That's what happened with A-Rod.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

But we don't really know other than a player saying, "I wanted to play for the GREAT CUBS at any price." Let's see the actual offers and compare. But of course, we can't.

_________________
Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

Right, but that is MORE than you guys have and you act like you are 100% sure.


BTW, I have never wavered. The White Sox will sign Manny for sure (as I said months ago)

Even if the Giants did offer 168 million, when you consider the taxes, the Cub offer is still more. They always take more.

https://www.group11advisors.com/sf-gian ... -ca-taxes/

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Anybody here seen my old friend Bobby?
Can you tell me where he's gone?
I thought I saw him walkin' up to The Hill
With Elon, Tulsi, and Don

So the Sox are committed to $36 mill of Mannys' freinds and family to make a $175 mill offer?

Pair Machado with a shit load of cost controlled players and Abreu and the Sox would be on the cusp of a 5+ year run of contention. The Sox need bats. They've needed bats for a decade.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

Yea, I knew you would find that.

You're working backwards. It HAS to be more, let me go try and prove it.

They dont always take more. That's just something you say and want to believe. You just admitted we dont see the offer sheets. But you are 100% sure. It's ridiculous.