Jose Abreu Deserves Better
On March 31st, 2014, Jose Abreu stepped into a major league batters box for the first time. It didn’t take him long to make an impression. He took the first pitch he saw and ripped it to right field for a double. Abreu hasn’t stopped hitting since.
Nine years, 243 home runs, 863 RBIs, and 1,445 hits later, Abreu has collected an American League Rookie of the Year Award, AL Most Valuable Player honor, and three Silver Silver Slugger Awards for his trophy case. He will go down as one of the most prolific hitters in White Sox history.
At the age of 36, he hasn’t slowed down either. While his home run and RBI numbers dipped, he still managed to post a career-high in doubles while simultaneously producing the lowest strikeout rate of his career. His 183 hits were also the second most in the American League, while his .304 batting average led the White Sox.
Lineup protection (or lack thereof), injuries, and organizational dysfunction never stopped him from producing. Abreu is as durable as they come. Jose was there when you needed a big hit. If you wanted someone to set an example and play with his heart on his sleeve, look no further than Abreu.
“You just gotta watch him,” Andrew Vaughn said when asked about Abreu. “Watch what he does every day. It’s special, and it truly shows.”
His impact off the field matches his impact in the box score. Abreu helped recruit Luis Robert to the White Sox. When Eloy Jimenez first joined the team, his locker was placed next to Abreu’s. He is also universally respected by everyone he has played with.
“He’s so much of what makes this team, this team, and he’s done just amazing things on and off the field ever since I’ve been here and had the pleasure of being his teammate,” Lucas Giolito told reporters.
Liam Hendriks offered a similar sentiment.
“I think from a leadership point of view, I think from a defense, I think from an offensive point of view, I think he’s an integral part of this team,” Hendriks said.
Abreu plans on playing baseball next season. But it doesn’t sound like he will be returning to the only team he has ever known since coming to America. All you needed to do was look at Abreu’s body language or listen to his teammates while they answered questions from the media.
“I didn’t even think about that,” Giolito said after being asked about the possibility of Abreu leaving. “That would hurt, man.”
“I hope we bring him back, but that’s for the higher-ups and then whatever he decides as well,” Hendriks added.
“I hope they bring him back over here because he’s a guy that’s going to give everything for this organization and for the White Sox,” interim manager Miguel Cairo told reporters.
Jerry Reinsdorf is all about loyalty. If there is anyone on this team that deserves an extension, it is Abreu. But baseball is a business, and life is not always fair.
Paul Konerko got to go out with class. He left the field to a standing ovation. Abreu went out with a whimper. If Wednesday was indeed Jose Abreu’s final game in a White Sox uniform, he would have spent his final moments watching a 10-1 blowout from the dugout. The sparse crowd in attendance never got the chance to acknowledge him. Meanwhile, the majority of White Sox Twitter is ready to ship him out of town because there is “simply no room on next year’s roster.”
That may be the case. Eloy Jimenez will likely occupy the designated hitter spot next season. That leaves the White Sox with Andrew Vaughn and Gavin Sheets in the outfield. Both are better suited for first base or the designated hitter spot. Vaughn was statistically the worst defensive outfielder in baseball but provides tremendous offensive upside. He led the White Sox in home runs and RBIs.
However, Sheets and Vaughn are two valuable trade chips the White Sox can use to address other needs. Sheets can’t seem to hit on the road. Vaughn has shown potential but doesn’t provide the same value that Abreu does at the moment.
If AJ Pollock opts out, the White Sox could also choose to plug Vaughn back in left field while telling him to place an extra emphasis on his defense during the offseason. This would allow Abreu to return to first base for at least another season.
Tough decisions need to be made. The odd man out is likely Abreu. If that is the case, it is a rotten way to end his time on the Southside. He deserved better from the White Sox. In nine years, he only got to play in seven playoff games. If he does not return, hopefully, he finds an organization that can put the winning team around him that he deserves.