MLB Rumors: Manny Machado's Official White Sox Offer Revealed, Harper Chase Continues

The Manny Machado saga looks almost certain to conclude before fellow in-demand free agent Bryce Harper's, after interested teams stepped up their pursuit three days into the New Year.

The free agent shortstop indicated he would make a decision on his future in 2019 after completing a three-city visit to meet his main suitors — the Chicago White Sox, the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Phillies – in December, prior to the holidays.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Machado received his first official offer and it was from the White Sox. The deal on the table was said to be a long-term contract, but worth around $200 million and not the $300 million offer the shortstop was targeting.

“The White Sox have formally offered Machado a long-term contract proposal, four persons with direct knowledge of the offer told USA TODAY Sports. They spoke only on the condition of anonymity since they are in the middle of negotiations,” Nightengale wrote Thursday.

The 26-year-old was not impressed with the opening offer, but the negotiations were ongoing as the Chicago franchise made the first move in its attempt to land one of the most sought-after free agents. The White Sox were also interested in right-fielder Harper but were yet to make a formal offer despite holding numerous meetings with the player and his agent Scott Boras.

The formal offer seems to tally with 670 The Score Bruce Levine’s claim that the White Sox were not ready to offer Machado or Harper the 10-year deal they desire, but would only give them a maximum of seven years.

The Yankees, meanwhile, have been installed as the favorites to land Machado, with the player also said to fancy a move to New York. However, they were also not willing to entertain the player’s demands and were planning to offer a short-term deal with a larger average annual income.

The Phillies were also in the running for both the free agent stars and it was believed they could outbid all their rivals as they did not have any other long-term financial commitments at the moment. However, both Machado and Harper were said to not be too keen on moving to Philadelphia and therefore, the team would have to bid significantly higher in order to turn the two players’ heads.

Machado was expected to sign his deal first, with MLB Insider Anthony Castrovince predicting he would join the Yankees in the next 10 days, while another report claimed Harper’s free agency could stretch well into February.