Just as Al Avila did all he could when he offered Carlos Correa 10/275 even as everyone knew Correa’s floor at the time was $300MM. So everyone, including Avila, knew Correa was going to turn down the offer. But you are 100% correct that Avila was given full credit for making the offer by the fans, who ignored—or, more likely, didn’t even recognize—the cynical nature of the offer in the first place. As a result, Correa got raked, here and elsewhere, for having the temerity to turn down the offer.
That would probably happen, too, if Harris offered $300MM to Skubal out of the gate knowing full well that the expectation would be Skubal shooting for $400MM. Harris would be praised, Skubal would get raked, world would keep turning.