Throughout the inconsistencies of this White Sox season, there has been one constant thus far. That would be Jose Abreu’s performance at the plate. The Cuban slugger is tied for the league lead in doubles, has hit 10 home runs, and driven in 38. He is a solid bet to be the starting first baseman for the American League All-Star team this year as well. With his contract with the White Sox ending after the 2019 season, there has been a lot of talk on why the White Sox should trade him before the deadline this year. His value is at an all time high, and he isn’t getting any younger. But it would be foolish to trade Abreu at any point, and I’m going to explain why.
Production
Let’s get the obvious reason out of the way first. Every year you can place a safe bet for Abreu to hit in the neighborhood .300 with 30+ home runs and 100+ RBI. He is one of the most consistent players in all of baseball. Abreu is the main driving force on a young team with not many other offensive forces.
Defensive Improvements
The main knock on Jose is that he lacks superior defensive skills. While that may have been true when he first came overseas from Cuba, it is hard not to see just how much he has improved at manning first base. Last night he made one of the nicer plays you’ll see from any first baseman this season.
Unfortunately the MLB is lame and takes down any highlight videos posted due to copyright policies, so I’ll describe it.
Basically Abreu fielded a grounder to first, stepped on the bag, then gunned down Jason Kipnis as he tried sliding into third base. It was an absolutely flawless play and one of the bigger ones of the game.
Leading By Example
I get the fact that the more top 100 prospects you have the better odds that they will pan out to be studs, but the White Sox need a veteran like Abreu to lead by example. Here’s what he’s done so far among first basemen:
Jose Abreu should start the @MLB All-Star Game. Here's where he ranks among AL first basemen:
runs (34)- 3rd
hits (72)- 1st
doubles (25)- 1st
home runs (10)- T-5th
RBI (38)- 1st
BB (18)- T-10th
AVG (.295)- 1st
OBP (.356)- 2nd
SLG (.520)- 1st
OPS (.876)- 1st@whitesox #VoteAbreu— Xavier Sanchez (@Xavier_Sanchez4) June 11, 2018
(Remember to Vote Abreu)
But honestly, for a guy supposedly “past his prime” he seems to be doing just fine. If the White Sox trade Abreu, they would essentially have no veteran leadership in the clubhouse. Even the 2016 Cubs and 2017 Astros had longtime veterans who played important roles on the two young teams. Abreu could be that guy on the next White Sox playoff team.
Health
If you are worried about Abreu being injury prone as he ages, don’t be. Since he has been on the White Sox, he has never missed extended periods of time. He’s been on the 10-day DL a few times here and there, but no serious injuries have ever plagued him. He takes care of his body and seems to show up each season in better shape than the last.
Wrapping Up
The White Sox would have to be absolutely blown away by an offer to trade Abreu. I’m talking at least two top 100 prospects, with one being top 50. He is everything you want in a baseball player and is under contract through the 2019 season. That being said, I think people need to start talking more about an extension as opposed to a trade. Jose has said time and time again how he wants to be in Chicago for his entire career. That speaks volumes from a guy who has never been on a team with more than 78 wins. He believes in the rebuild and has been the ultimate teammate from Day 1. Jose Abreu is my first baseman now, and he should continue to be so for years.
