With the trade for brother-in-law Yonder Alonso and signing longtime friend Jon Jay, the Chicago White Sox seemingly have put into place multiple members of the noted “305 boys” that Manny Machado was a part of as a youth.
Machado entered free agency after taking plenty of heat this offseason due to comments made about his effort during the playoffs, as well as some plays deemed by many as outside the bounds of sportsmanship, especially during the National League Championship Series against the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Baltimore Orioles took the young phenom with the third overall selection in the 2010 draft out of high school in Miami, where he had been working out with Alonso and Jay for multiple seasons at the University of Miami facilities. He made it to the major leagues quickly, debuting less than a month after his 20th birthday. His time in Baltimore allowed Machado to showcase his talent, but also was spotted with controversial plays as well.
The White Sox are likely hoping that bringing in friends and family of Machado will not just provide incentive for him to come to the team, but also give him a built-in support system once he's on the team.
Interestingly enough, one other area the team is still looking to address is starting pitching, and another member of the “305 boys” that is out there is left-handed starter Gio Gonzalez, who would fit nicely in Chicago's rotation.
Of course, both Alonso and Jay address needs for the White Sox regardless of whether or not Manny signs with the Pale Hose, as would Gonzalez. However, it does lead to some intriguing possibilities if he were to bring back a number of his friends with the White Sox.
Could a trade for Cubs center fielder Albert Almora, Jr. be possible? Might the team sign veterans Danny Valencia or Sean Rodriguez for bench depth? That would really be bringing all the boys together.
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