When the offseason began, I had pretty much accepted that the White Sox would make a serious run at Manny Machado, maybe check in on Bryce Harper, and I was just going to hope for the best either way.

Everything has changed. There seems to be more smoke connecting Harper to the Sox by the day. Ever since the first rumor about the White Sox and Harper, it became clear to me that Harper would be a much bigger get than Machado for the White Sox from a marketing and exposure perspective, and his elite left handed power and on base skills would be a welcome presence in a White Sox lineup that projects to be dominated by right handed hitters. Given the leaks and rumors of the last few weeks, it appears the White Sox might realize this too.

But just how soon could Bryce Harper make his decision? The winter meetings are this coming week in his hometown of Las Vegas. Surely, he has meetings planned with several teams. Over the past few days, it seems that the battle for his services has heated up, as we have heard that Harper may not be thrilled about the idea of living in Philadelphia, the Nationals are likely out of the running to re-sign him, and the White Sox are reportedly one of the top contenders for Harper.

How much of this is true, and how much of it has been strategically leaked by either Harper’s camp or certain teams to alter his asking price? Unfortunately, that cannot be known, but the mere fact that all these rumors have begun to swirl points to the possibility of Harper’s market picking up steam. Clients of Scott Boras, Harper’s agent, often wait until late in the offseason to sign, but if Harper receives an offer he can’t refuse from a team that is perhaps willing to outbid the field, such as the White Sox, it is conceivable that he would prefer to accept the offer at the winter meetings. While there are still plenty of teams that are interested in Harper, the daily rumors have begun, so there is a possibility that he may be nearing a decision.

By the way, does anyone have any ideas as to why Michael Kopech went to Las Vegas via private jet last night?

Michael Kopech has arrived in Vegas 👀 pic.twitter.com/thog3PCO9M — Sox On 35th (@SoxOn35th) December 8, 2018

Featured Photo: Jennifer Stewart