White Sox: Don’t Expect Quality Return in a Jose Abreu Trade
By Matt Manetti
The White Sox are in trade talks with several teams regarding Jose Abreu. Don’t expect it to have the same return as past trades.
The Chicago White Sox are in trade talks with several teams regarding Jose Abreu. Four teams are in talks with the Sox according to Jon Heyman of Fan Rag. Trading their slugging first baseman allows the Sox to add to their already stocked farm system. But it may not generate the same return as Rick Hahn’s previous trades.
The key word here is control. While the Red Sox and Cubs both got three years of control out of their respective pitchers, a team trading for Abreu would only get two. Abreu’s arbitration number is projected to be $17.9 million. Assuming he has another strong season, he’ll be in line for another raise. Jose Quintana’s contract with the Cubs will max out at $10.5 million while Chris Sale’s will max out at $15 million. Both guys were under extremely team-friendly contracts, which added more value.
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That shouldn’t dissuade Hahn from exploring trade scenarios. After all, value is really dictated by the interested party. It’s possible some teams will value Abreu more than say the Cubs or Red Sox valued Quintana or Sale. Hahn has set the bar extremely high so getting another huge return will be tricky.
The return is all going to depend on what team the White Sox eventually strike a deal with. The Red Sox gave up a ton of assets to get Sale. Heyman says they’re one of the teams in the Abreu talks. But the talent in their farm system is just not as good as it was when they traded for Sale. Because of that we shouldn’t expect Hahn to get the same type of return if he makes a trade with the Red Sox.
Next: Rumor: White Sox in Active Trade Talks
Abreu would clearly make a difference for most offenses. Any team that needs a power hitter would love to have him. But then teams have to ask if it’s worth it to gut their farm system for a guy who is going to be 31 in January. The White Sox have the upper hand because again, they don’t need to trade him now. It may be best to trade him because his value is probably at its highest right now. Once they get into the season his value could decrease because you’re talking about a team only having a year of control. On the other hand Abreu has said he would love to stay in Chicago and be a part of the rebuild. Maybe it’s best the White Sox grant him that wish.