Chicago White Sox sign Jon Jay another friend of Manny Machado
On the same day the Chicago White Sox signed Kelvin Herrera, they signed another solid veteran to their young roster.
This time the Chicago White Sox signed veteran outfielder Jon Jay. This signing is notable not just because Jay is good at his job, but because he happens to be another good friend of Manny Machado.
With Yonder Alonso at first base (or DH) and Jay in the outfield, could Machado be convinced that Chicago is the place to be?
Bob Nightengale of USA Today was the first to share the news. He did so via Twitter:
The #Whitesox have agreement with free agent outfielder Jon Jay. He must complete physical for it to become official. So the Sox now have Manny Machado’s brother in law, Yonder Alonso, and close friend, Jay, on the team as they have offer on table for Machado.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 8, 2019
There is no doubt that the Kelvin Herrera signing early in the day was exciting, but signing Jay adds even more simply because of his connection to Machado.
Can the ChiSox bring the 305 Boys together?
According to an article posted in The Players’ Tribune in February 2017, Machado, Alonso, and Jay consider themselves to be members of the “Miami Baseball Brotherhood” or the “305 Boys.” The article includes photos, videos, and quotes from the three players. In the photos, they’re working out, taking batting practice, playing basketball, and enjoying life together.
In the article, Machado is quoted as saying:
“As a kid coming up, I’d see Jon and Yonder out there making their mark, and it gave me something to shoot for. They set the example. I looked up to those guys.”
It is no secret that the White Sox want Machado. The front office gave him a contract offer a few days ago. Again, the news was broken by Nightengale:
The Chicago #WhiteSox are more engaged with Manny Machado than Bryce Harper at the moment, and have officially made an offer to Machado. They have yet to make a formal offer to Harper, but have been in constant contact.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) January 3, 2019
What Jay brings to the ChiSox
Jay began his MLB career with the St. Louis Cardinals and played for them for six seasons. He has also played for the Padres, Cubs, Royals, and most recently, the Diamondbacks in the last three seasons. In his nine seasons, he has a slash of .285/.352/.378. He’s a speedy outfielder who has a handful of stolen bases in each season. He also seems to have a knack for being hit by pitches.
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Too many outfielders
At the end of November, the White Sox non-tendered Avisail Garcia, who was the team’s full-time right fielder. This opened up a defensive spot for Daniel Palka – who hit 27 home runs in 2018 (the most on the team). Left-handed Jay could platoon in center field with Adam Engel, who is a right-handed batter. Fans are also expecting Eloy Jimenez to make is MLB debut at one of the outfield corners in 2019, too.
What is clear is that the White Sox do have a glut of outfielders, so Jay could have been signed simply as bait for Machado. Jay could be the outfield bench player, but since his bat is much better than Engel’s, he should see more time in center field if the White Sox are serious about winning.
Related Story. White Sox sign Kelvin Herrera. light
Hopefully, Machado takes the bait and joins his friends with the Chicago White Sox. It would be something if the 305 Boys became the 312 Boys.