White Sox Rumors: Three potential returns for Jose Abreu
Trade Package Number Three:
Like the Rockies, the Astros have been interested in Abreu since the winter of 2013.
However, unlike the Rockies, the Astros don’t have a hole at first base. Current first baseman Yuli Gurriel finished second behind Abreu in the All-Star Voting, and has hit .304 with 1.4 Wins-Above-Replacment for Houston.
Coming off a World Series Championship, the Astros window to win is now. While they’d be giving up some highly-touted prospects, the Astros shouldn’t hesitate in making a deal that could be important to the future.
The #Astros have promoted #3 overall prospect Yordan Alvarez to Triple-A Fresno the team has announced. Alvarez hit .325 with 12 HR and 46 RBI in 43 games for the @CCHooks this season. The first baseman was picked to play for the World Team in the MLB Futures Games. pic.twitter.com/tgxan5qukf
— Chris Thomasson - KIII Sports (@ChrisThomasson7) July 6, 2018
As outlined earlier, the White Sox could seek an Abreu replacement in any deal. Theres no better candidate to fill Abreu’s void than fellow Cuban Yordan Alvarez.
The no. 51 prospect in the MLB, Alvarez has lit it up in Double-A, hitting .325 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs. Alvarez struck out just 45 times in 169 at-bats, while hitting 13 doubles.
Since then, Alvarez has been promoted to Triple-A. Despite being just 21, Alvarez could make an impact in the majors as soon as next season.
Alvarez would be the best prospect in any of the three trades, therefore the remainder of the deal would contain lesser prospects than the past two.
However, the White Sox would be getting another breakout prospect in Cionel Perez. A 22-year old lefty, Perez made his MLB debut this week after starting the season in Double-A. In the minors, Perez went 6-1 with a 1.98 ERA in 16 appearances (11 starts). Perez has electric stuff, as the Cuban struck out 83 batters in 68.1 innings.
Next: Cubs Potential Trade Packages for J.A. Happ
Finally, the White Sox would get another potential future relief ace in Riley Ferrell. The Astros 19th-ranked prospect, Ferrell went 2-2 with a 1.90 ERA in 21 appearances out of the bullpen in Double-A. As the White Sox build their team of the future, adding quality relievers like Ferrell will be key in building a future contender.