Chicago White Sox: Trading Jose Abreu Will Hurt the Rebuild

Okay so maybe trading Abreu to the Red Sox for Jackie Bradley Jr. or some ridiculous prospect hull wouldn’t really hurt the rebuild. But Jose Abreu has a big role on this team that can not be overlooked.

To find out what Jose Abreu means to the Chicago White Sox one does not have to look far. The day Yoan Moncada was called up from Triple-A Charlotte it was Jose Abreu that picked him up from the airport. Since then they have become close friends with Abreu teaching Moncada the ways of life in a large American market like Chicago. Moncada took to Instagram back in November to let the White Sox know that he looked forward to playing with him in 2018.

This Moncada-Abreu friendship is significant when one looks at the future position players who are on the way. Luis Robert and Eloy Jimenez have been hyped up as potential superstars. These guys are perfect for Abreu to take under his wing. Once they are in Chicago it will be hard for them to adjust to yet another change in lifestyle and the language barrier won’t help.

Having Manager Ricky Renteria around will be huge for that reason. However, a player who leads by example would be even bigger. Abreu would also be good for simple things like showing them where the best food places are. It will be big for helping them to adjust. Being that he is from Cuba he can probably see himself on these guys and feels obligated to help them along so that the team as a whole can be successful. That matters when these young guys will go from having nothing to millions with the stroke of a pen just like any other big league player.

Now paying Abreu roughly 10 million to babysit in 2018 is not exactly ideal and he is eligible for arbitration next winter.

So let’s talk baseball.

Abreu is hands down the Sox best player. Moncada will hopefully pass him up but until then Abreu has it locked up. He has hit at least 25 homers and 100 RBIs since joining the team. Matt Davidson is the only other player on the current roster who can produce power and the Sox would sorely miss that offense.

Defensively he was slow out of the gate but really had a strong back half of 2017. All around he is a consistent player with power that is highly sought after throughout the Majors.

The White Sox need Jose Abreu. He is a fan favorite that will be a big part of the White Sox when they are battling for championships.

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