It has been pretty hard to be a Chicago White Sox fan for a few months now. It became obvious that the Chicago White Sox were going to continue a grinding season pretty early on as they were expecting to walk into the playoffs with ease.
Playoff hope was there for pretty much the entire ride but it was never easy. Things have not been the same since the Houston Astros took them out in the 2021 American League Division Series. Well, things might get even harder for White Sox fans over this off-season.
There are mixed expectations on what they are going to do to improve their team. If they want to have a bounce-back type of season, they need some talent to be added to this roster and some of the flaws need to be addressed.
One of those flaws is the fact that they have too many players that are first base/DH types that can also kind of play the outfield (although poorly). One way to fix that is by removing one of the players from the log jam.
The Chicago White Sox better be sure if they let Jose Abreu leave them.
One player that might be the one to go is White Sox great Jose Abreu. Make no mistake about it, no matter what happens, he is one of the best players to ever suit up for this team. On 670 The Score, Bruce Levine said that there is close to a zero chance that Abreu returns to the Sox.
He makes it even worse when he points out that the Chicago Cubs are one of the teams with the most interest in him. Although he would be out of the American League with less of a chance to torment the White Sox, seeing him on the north side would be devastating.
These rumors are tough to hear for the White Sox. It would also make them a worse team as the most consistent player on their team in terms of offense would be leaving. His value as a player and as a leader cannot be overstated. Letting him leave might be a mistake.
In doing so, they would be putting a lot of faith in Andrew Vaughn to be the everyday first baseman. That could end up working out well but it could also be a bit premature.
Although it may be tough to watch for Sox fans, it is fair to root for Abreu to get paid handsomely, be appreciated, and be given a chance to win. That doesn't mean we have to think these rumors are anything other than terrifying.