White Sox general manager won’t rule out a possible trade of veteran slugger, but his impact is much greater than what is shown in the box score.
Would the Chicago White Sox trade its best veteran player in Jose Abreu this offseason? It’s certainly not out of the possibility according to general manager Rick Hahn. With the Sox continuing their rebuild, the team isn’t ruling out any trades this offseason.
Abreu completed his fourth major league season with impressive numbers. The 30-year-old recorded more than 100 RBIs (102 in 2017) for the fourth consecutive season. He also helped fill the leadership void in the clubhouse for the Sox this past season.
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Hahn, speaking during the general manager meetings earlier this week, stated the Sox won’t rule out a possible trade of the Cuban slugger. Abreu has two seasons remaining under team control, and could be an attractive option on the trade market. According to Chris Kuc of the Chicago Tribune, Hahn has been having conversations with other general managers about Abreu and Avisail Garcia.
Abreu and Garcia both had solid seasons this past year, and very well could be traded. But the Sox shouldn’t consider trading one of their more popular players in the middle of their current rebuild.
"“We’ve certainly proven over the last year that no one is untouchable, and we have a responsibility to understand the market value of all of our players. This is just part of the process. We’re approaching this similar to how we did in the past, in that we have to be open-minded on these guys. If there’s an opportunity to put us in a better position long term, we’ll certainly fully explore it.” Rick Hahn"
The Sox could add more depth to their farm system by trading Abreu, but they could lose much more. Abreu has been one of the more consistent first baseman in Sox history. Although Abreu has yet to reach the postseason with the Sox, he’s had a tremendous impact on the team since his rookie season in 2014.
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Hahn has to do his job as a general manager and listen to trade offers for his players. At the end of the day, Hahn has to make the Sox a better team for the future. However, Abreu shouldn’t be traded from the Sox anytime soon. He’s too valuable to this organization and could help usher in a new winning era on the South Side. If a team presents a fantastic return for Abreu to the Sox, it would be hard for Hahn to refuse to trade him. In the meantime, Sox fans shouldn’t worry about Abreu being traded anytime soon.