How White Sox plan to press forward without Machado, Harper

Just when the wounds were beginning to heal, they were ripped back open on Thursday.

White Sox fans came out en masse last week when top free-agent target Manny Machado spurned the South Side and signed a 10-year, $300 million contract with the Padres.

The Sox thought they had Machado when they upped their offer to $250 million over eight years, followed by two option years (2027-28) at $35 million each that vested with 550 plate appearances the previous year.

Machado obviously preferred the guaranteed $300 million over the potential $320 million, and angry fans blasted the White Sox and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf for failing to step up.

General manager Rick Hahn understood the uproar.

"It's extremely tough personally, but the reason it's tough personally is because even in these positions with the responsibilities to the franchise that we all have, it doesn't change that fundamentally we are all fans," Hahn said. "From a fan standpoint or whatever fan element is in me, that's the one that hurts today. "There's a number of ways the fan side of me is going to get past this, but like any other person who lives and dies with the White Sox out there, today is a tough day personally."

Thursday wasn't as bad, but it still hurt after news broke that Bryce Harper signed a staggering 13-year, $330 million contract with the Phillies.

With plenty of payroll room and plenty of promising young talent in the pipeline, the Sox's rebuild could have taken a massive step forward with either Machado or Harper in uniform.

The White Sox actually met with Harper first during the offseason, traveling to his hometown (Las Vegas) in November. But it was pretty clear they were out on the left-handed slugger after Machado signed with San Diego.

"San Diego stepped up to that level ($300 million guaranteed)," Sox vice president Kenny Williams said. "That level wasn't feasible to us because we still have to project putting together a total winning roster and keeping the young players that will ultimately earn into greater dollars themselves. When you look at the big picture without having to sacrifice some of them, we could not go to that level."

With Machado and Harper finally off the board, the White Sox are going back to the drawing board.

Since the original projection was having much of their young talent ready to go in 2020, spending big on free agents after the upcoming season made the most sense.

The Machado/Harper swings and misses aside, it still does.

"The money will be spent," Hahn vowed. "This isn't money sitting around waiting to just accumulate interest. It's money trying to be deployed to put us in best position to win some championships. There certainly was the argument at the start of offseason that we were premature, that this was a year too soon. It's probably why most people didn't include us as a potential landing spot for the top of the free-agent market.

"I understand that argument because a year from now, we will be in a better position to know more about our own guys and know more about what's available and where specific needs may lie and what specific needs we may have addressed. When we have that knowledge, that's where this money is going to go."

Looking ahead to next year's free-agent market, the big prize is already gone. Rockies third baseman Nolan Arenado signed an eight-year, $260 million contract Tuesday and he's staying put in Colorado.

There are still potential star players like Paul Goldschmidt, Xander Bogaerts, Gerrit Cole and Anthony Rendon that could be available, and the White Sox should be a more attractive team to play for with top young prospects like Eloy Jimenez, Dylan Cease and Nick Madrigal in place.

"We are going to get by this," Hahn said. "There are a lot of exciting things happening in this organization. This was never about one individual. Much like an injury setback, it hurts. But you try to build something deep enough and strong enough and sustainable enough that it can survive an injury or missing out here or there.

"We still have work to do. We know that. Just continue to put our nose down and put ourselves in the best position for the long term."