VP Ken Williams: It's a shame that White Sox is presented as being cheap

GLENDALE, Arizona – White Sox executive vice president Ken Williams did what he often did during spring training on Thursday morning, moving from behind-the-scenes to watching players, mostly future plays in which the reconstruction of Sox is built.

It had been nine days since Manny Machado had rejected Sox's $ 250 million bid over eight years – with vesting options and incentives to eventually bring the deal to $ 350 million – by signing with the Padres a $ 300 million guarantee guarantee over 10 years.

"I was going to say that it's already gone for us but [general manager] millstone [Hahn] and I spoke about it yesterday, and the sound did not go away, 'that's what Williams told the Sun-Times. "It is unfortunate that it is indicated that we are not up to this case. It's really interesting because, holy, it's a quarter of a billion dollars that we offered with a chance to be higher than it has. "

A few hours later, Bryce Harper, whom the Sox had also targeted, would sign with the Phillies for 13 years and $ 330 million. On Thursday morning, we did not know what Harper was going to sign, but the Sox were already in the camp, Williams said. It was not for lack of being like Harper.

"I'm really digging the guy," said Williams. "He and I clicked at the meeting. He expressed that [agent] Scott [Boras] After the meeting. I have a respect for the guy, the way he plays and goes about it. It's a contagious personality and play style. "

Harper would have been an instant face of the franchise. But the Sox knew that they were absent, knowing that he would have more guaranteed species and years than they were willing to offer to Machado.

Sox Twitter experienced another rift Thursday, calling on the organization not to go higher on Machado and to give up Harper. Anyway, it was the general consensus among fans that saw rare opportunities for two 26-year-old stars to go to the board.

"Whoever you talk to, I can not say anything that helps them feel better," Williams said. "Rest assured that no one feels what Rick and I feel, because every day since June of last year, we had planned this, in pursuit of Harper and Machado. harp [was] well out of our range. With Machado, we have expanded as much as possible without compromising what we will have to do in the future.

"People are lost on the fact that every year our offer was more than San Diego's. The average annual value was 31 [million] and change. So it was about guaranteed years. So we could argue that our offer was the best of both. He certainly had more potential for him. All he had left was to stay healthy. "

All the Sox had to do was dig a little deeper. But Williams said the long-term cost was too high.

"Our fans would have been much more disappointed with our inability to keep this next core together," he said. "We would have spread too much if we had reached an uncomfortable level."

The next core of future potential stars such as Eloy Jimenez, Michael Kopech, Tim Anderson, Carlos Rodon and Yoan Moncada will be in arbitration and high salaries in years, and the fact is: the most Rich ever signed by the White Sox is that of Jose Abreu, who raises to $ 68 million deal.

From the beginning of this quest, we felt that the Sox were not the first choice destinations of Machado and Harper. Williams would dispute that the Sox are a team for which the stars would like to play.

"I think we're in the room with Manny Machado and Bryce Harper and if we could afford it, they absolutely wanted to come here," he said. "It was expressed to us. That's all I can do without. "