Free agent infielder Manny Machado said a decision would come after January 1st for who he will sign a long-term deal with. As we enter the third week of January, we could have a decision very soon.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Chicago White Sox have an 8-year deal in place for Machado.
Here’s what he wrote in his report on Sunday night:
As the sweepstakes for baseball’s best free agents heats up, Manny Machado is sitting on an eight-year offer from the Chicago White Sox and is still engaged with the Philadelphia Phillies while their pursuit of Bryce Harper grew stronger with an in-person meeting in Las Vegas over the weekend, league sources told ESPN
– ESPN’s Jeff Passan
Passan notes that the Philadelphia Phillies are the other team in pursuit of Machado and have shown a lot of interest. Philadelphia is also pursuing free agent Bryce Harper who is also seeking a long-term deal.
The Phillies appear to be the favorites for Harper which leaves the White Sox as the rumored favorites for Machado.
While Machado and Harper would both prefer deals for 10 years, the White Sox could very well land the 26-year-old with an 8-year offer. The Chicago Sun-Times’ Daryl Van Schouwen is reporting the offer is for $250M:
This new report signals that the White Sox and Machado are making progress and we could see a deal signed something this week.
Make sure to check out our WHITE SOX forum for the latest on the team.
