It's February, and Machado/Harper are still out there

As stunning as this might sound, the chase to sign star free agents Manny Machado and Bryce Harper is more muddled now than it has been at any point.

Dragging into the fourth straight month of rumors and innuendo, now it's the Padres' turn to set up their fan base for either a big return or bigger disappointment.

Like the White Sox, the Padres haven't had a winning season in years and they have a jaded fan base.

Also like the Sox, San Diego is in rebuild mode, has a talented minor-league system and plenty of payroll room to sign either Machado or Harper.

At SoxFest last weekend, the Padres were reportedly setting up a meeting with Machado after they sensed offers for the 26-year-old infielder were well below the expected $30 million per year asking price.

So what did San Diego do? It met with Harper in Las Vegas, on Thursday.

At some point - you would think - Machado and Harper are going to make decisions.

Spring training opens in less than two weeks, and fans of interested teams like the White Sox, Phillies, Yankees and Nationals have grown weary of all the rumors and continued inactivity.

Who's to blame for another stagnant offseason?

You can say ownership. More and more teams are doing rebuilds these days, opting for cheap prospects over veterans seeking long, expensive contracts.

You can say players. In the final week of the 2018 season, Harper reportedly turned down a 10-year, $300 million offer to remain with Washington.

Either way, this offseason has been a miserable one for a game that is already having trouble attracting younger fans and keeping them interested.

As for the Sox, Machado stacks up as the better fit.

He would have to play third base instead of shortstop, which White Sox manager Rick Renteria said was discussed and agreed to.

The Sox have had a gaping hole at third base since 2009, the year after Joe Crede and his bad back exited the South Side.

Harper would likely be the more popular addition, given his prolific power and outgoing personality, but the White Sox are loaded with promising young outfielders like Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Blake Rutherford, Micker Adolfo and Luis Gonzalez.

Are the Sox willing to pay Harper $20-$30 million a year to be their designated hitter? The answer should be obvious.

While he remains hopeful that Machado or Harper are soon in uniform, general manager Rick Hahn hammered two points at SoxFest last weekend.

First, a strong group of prospects remains the best hope for the White Sox's future, and one player is not going to change that outlook.

Second, after years of inactivity on big-name talent, Hahn said the Sox are going to remain players moving forward.

For now, that will have to do.