Manny Machado's Agent Calls Reports of Seven-Year, $175 Million Offer From White Sox 'Inaccurate'
Manny Machado's agent, Dan Lozano of MVP Sports Group, released a statement on Wednesday afternoon calling reports of an offer from the Chicago White Sox "inaccurate."
ESPN's Buster Olney and USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported that the White Sox offered the free-agent infielder a seven-year, $175 million deal.
Lozano said he has a "good professional relationship" with both journalists but called their reporting "reckless."
"Their recent reporting, like many other rumors in the past several months, have been inaccurate and reckless when it comes to Manny Machado. I don't know if their sources are blatantly violating the Collective Bargaining Agreement by intentionally misleading them to try and affect negotiations through the public eye or are just flat out lying to them for other reasons. But the truth is that their reports on the details of the White Sox level of interest in Manny are wrong."
Machado and free-agent outfielder Bryce Harper are the top two players on the free agency market. The White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies are the reported frontrunners for landing the stars. The Phillies met with Harper in Las Vegas over the weekend. Fancred's Jon Heyman reported Tuesday that Philadelphia is in an "excellent position" to sign one of the stars but not both.
At the start of the offseason, Harper and Machado, both 26, were rumored to be seeking 10-year, $300 million deals. The largest contract in White Sox history is the club's six-year, $68 million deal with Jose Abreu in 2013.
Last year, the Boston Red Sox signed slugger J.D. Martinez to a five-year, $110 million deal in free agency. Boston emerged as a suitor early in the offseason, but Martinez and the Red Sox didn't reach an agreement until Feb. 19. During the Winter Meetings, his agent Scott Boras told teams that Martinez was seeking a contract in the $200 million range.
Other huge major league contracts in recent years have included the Baltimore Orioles locking up star Chris Davis with a seven-year, $161 million deal in 2016. The contract made Davis the highest-paid player in club history. In 2013, the Yankees signed Jacoby Ellsbury to a seven-year, $153 million contract.
Last season, Machado hit .297 with 37 home runs and 107 RBIs. The four-time All-Star and two-time Gold Glove winner was traded from the Orioles to the Los Angeles Dodgers last summer.
The White Sox have already traded for Yonder Alonso, Machado's brother-in-law, and signed Jon Jay, a friend of Machado's.
