The White Sox's acquisition of Yonder Alonso on Friday changed the dynamics of the biggest guessing game to hit the South Side in years.
Bryce Harper or Manny Machado?
Machado was in town to visit the Sox on Monday, sources confirmed, starting his tour of interested teams that reportedly includes the Yankees and Phillies. Alonso, meanwhile, spoke to the Chicago media Monday via teleconference after the weekend deal with the Indians for a Sox prospect.
Most fans know by now that Alonso is Machado's brother-in-law -- Machado is married to Alonso's sister -- which theoretically could tilt the scales toward the Sox when the free-agent shortstop makes his decision. Of course, the $300 million or so needed to reel in Machado likely will take precedence over working alongside his relative.
"In regards to my brother-in-law, we couldn't be more happy for me to be in such a great organization, a great team," Alonso said. "He's obviously going to be meeting with other teams, including the White Sox.
"We're definitely very close. We live three blocks away from each other in Miami. It'd be very, very nice to also be neighbors on the South Side. I know he's very excited for me. His whole family is very excited for me, and it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"He's going to do his thing, obviously, what's best for his family."
The Alonso-Machado relationship has been mentioned prominently in almost every story about Alonso's acquisition.
"I hate to disappoint you, but I have not read every story that has mentioned his brother-in-law," General Manager Rick Hahn said Saturday.
Trust me, Rick.
"It's out there, huh?" Hahn replied.
Hahn said "fundamentally this is a baseball deal" and "potential ancillary benefits" were not part of the Sox's thinking. Of course, it couldn't hurt if the Sox are more serious about signing Machado than Harper, who has no relations on the Sox roster.
The Sox have low-keyed Machado's arrival in town, unlike the wooing of another prominent free agent Jerry Reinsdorf hoped to sign to his rebuilding Bulls team in the summer of 2000. Bulls general manager Jerry Krause, accompanied by Luvabulls cheerleaders and a band playing "Sweet Home Chicago," greeted 21-year-old Tracy McGrady at Gate C-20 in the United terminal at O'Hare.
McGrady threw out the first pitch before the next day's Cubs-Sox game at Wrigley Field, performed "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" during the seventh-inning stretch with Elton Brand, and visited Rush Street with Brand and B.J. Armstrong.
Alas, McGrady wound up signing with the Magic, and 18 years later, Reinsdorf's Bulls are in another rebuild.
Whether the Sox have more interest in Machado than Harper is unknown, though they clearly would like to sign one or the other. Machado's comment to The Athletic during the postseason that he's not "Johnny Hustle" has been used to suggest he doesn't always play hard, even though he meant he simply doesn't believe in false hustle.
Alonso said the story was "overblown" and Machado "shows up every day."
"I know what he does off the field, on the field," he said. "When he shows up, he's ready to play every single day. He gives it everything he's got, and at the end of the day, it's about winning. Wins, wins, wins. That's all he wants."
Whether Machado or Harper really is interested in joining a 100-loss team, or just creating more leverage, also is anyone's guess.
One of the Sox's main selling points is their future, headed by Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Dylan Cease, Luis Robert and others. Alonso left an Indians organization that seems more worried about paring payroll than the likelihood of the Sox catching them anytime soon.
Alonso said he's excited about the Sox prospects, adding, "The time is now, and it's a great place to be in."
We will see whether his brother-in-law agrees soon.
Sports on 12/18/2018