Astros finalizing deal with veteran 1B José Abreu (source)
The Astros are finalizing a deal that will convey veteran first baseman José Abreu to Houston, a supply advised MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart on Monday. Bob Nightengale was first to report the news, which has not been confirmed by the Astros. When accomplished, the deal is predicted to be for 3 years.
Abreu, who turns 36 on Jan. 29, performed his first 9 Major League seasons with the White Sox and persistently has been one of many high middle-of-the-order run producers within the sport. His 2022 marketing campaign featured a drop in energy to fifteen dwelling runs and 75 RBIs, marking simply the second time Abreu completed under 25 and 100 in these explicit classes in a full-schedule season.
Over his closing 55 video games, Abreu had one dwelling run and 20 RBIs in 234 plate appearances.
“I didn’t hit homers,” mentioned Abreu by means of White Sox interpreter Billy Russo throughout his final regular-season interview. “That’s one of my goals to work on during the offseason, trying to increase power.”
But it’s not as if Abreu’s elite degree of play fully took a dive. The first baseman hit .304 with an .824 OPS, posting a .378 on-base share that ranks second in his illustrious profession and a career-high 62 walks. In a extremely disappointing season for the White Sox, the place accidents and underperformance have been an unlucky however frequent theme, Abreu continued to set excessive requirements and performed 157 video games.
The 2020 American League Most Valuable Player, 2014 AL Rookie of the Year, three-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner was as soon as once more a Silver Slugger finalist in ’22. If the deal is finalized, he’ll end his White Sox profession because the crew’s third-leading all-time dwelling run hitter at 243 whereas rating fifth in RBIs at 863 and sixth in doubles at 303.
His worth goes nicely past on-field contributions. Abreu is a pacesetter within the clubhouse and the dugout, to not point out a pacesetter by instance along with his intense work ethic. He has labored his method right into a strong defensive first baseman since coming to the White Sox from Cuba by way of a six-year, $68 million deal previous to the 2014 season after which agreeing to a three-year, $50 million extension previous to ’20.
With the White Sox at present too designated hitter/first base heavy and Andrew Vaughn a pure to maneuver to first base from the outfield, each Abreu and the White Sox appeared to grasp a transfer away from the group had arrived. Abreu left little doubt, although, there’s nonetheless loads of need to maintain taking part in, even after his decade in MLB and his 10 seasons with Cienfuegos within the Cuban National Series.
“I’m hungry for more baseball,” Abreu mentioned. “Once I lose that, then I know that it’s time.”
“All 30 managers want to see José Abreu in their lineup,” mentioned new White Sox supervisor Pedro Grifol when requested about Abreu throughout his introductory press convention. “He’s obviously a guy from the other side that when you see him play, he comes to play every day, he works hard, he plays hurt, he performs. He’s performed for a long time.”
