1) Manny Machado
In 2018-2019 free agency, Manny Machado should far and away be the White Sox no. 1 target. Whether he stays with Baltimore or not, this man is going to get paid. Machado is arguably the best third baseman in the game.
Look at this career player comparison.
Player A- 5 seasons, .279/.382/.501, 122 2B, 121 HR, 334 RBI, 4x All-Star
Player B- 5 seasons, .284/.333/.477, 143 2B, 105 HR, 311 RBI, 3x All-Star, 2x Gold Glove
Any guesses? Player B is actually Manny Machado. Player A? None other than Bryce Harper. The stats between the two are fairly similar, with Harper showing slightly more home run power, but that is about it. Machado is not only a beast at the plate, but also an incredible defensive third basemen. I left Harper off of this list because it seems like a foregone conclusion that he will sign a record breaking contract with the New York Yankees. The fact that he is apparently seeking a $500MM contract is just absurd. Now, Machado will definitely not come cheap, but he probably will not get the money Harper receives either.
At the end of the day, Manny Machado is absolutely the perfect fit for the White Sox. He fits with the young core, will fill a position of probable need, he will make them a legitimate contender, and Chicago will be able to give him the contract he wants.
Once all the future trades are made and future top picks are drafted and developed, Manny Machado would be the cherry on top of a 3 year rebuild that should turn the Chicago White Sox from pretender to contender.
