Chicago White Sox: Addressing the Jose Abreu Rumors

The Chicago White Sox have a decision to make with their All-Star first baseman and it could impact this team for a very long time.

The Chicago White Sox have Jose Abreu on an expiring contract. He has been their best hitter since signing with them in 2014. He has a lifetime batting average of .292 and has 167 home runs. You can count on him to hit 20+ home runs and have 100 RBIs almost annually. He has been a model of consistency for the White Sox during a rather poor time in their history.

Of course, with the White Sox not being a playoff team and Abreu being on an expiring contract, he is surrounded by trade rumors. Nobody knows if he is actually going to get traded, but there will be rumors about it until either he is moved or the trade deadline passes.

Jose Abreu says that he wants to see this rebuild through so bad. He is almost loyal to a fault because the prime of his career spent on a bad baseball team. When the team really starts to get good, he will be on the decline. If he wants to be elite on a great team, maybe it is time to trade him. If the Tampa Bay Rays offered a great prospect or the Boston Red Sox offered a guy like Michael Chavis in a deal, the White Sox might consider it. There is also the possibility of trading him and then resigning him in the winter.

They might not get a good return for him if it is clearly only a rental. That might be a reason to keep him. He provides tremendous value to the young White Sox group and could provide some leadership and a big bat in the middle of the lineup of a great team. He is beloved by teammates and fans alike, so if Abreu wants to stay they should let him stay.

He is a perennial all-star and the White Sox are a year away from success, it appears. It might be the right thing to do to allow Jose Abreu to be a part of it if he wishes. He has been so good for the organization so let him stay. Unless anything actually happens, take all the rumors with a grain of salt.