Jose Abreu hasn’t given up on the game of baseball. According to MLB insider Francys Romero, Abreu has signed with the San Juan Senadores of the Puerto Rican Winter League.
Abreu is hoping that a successful winter ball campaign can kickstart a return to the MLB in 2025. Romero reports that Abreu will be reporting to the Senadores in the coming days to gear up for the start of the season in November.
Things did not go well for Jose Abreu in 2024. Despite only being in the second year of his three-year $58.5 million deal with the Astros, the 37-year-old first baseman was sent down to the minor leagues and then later released by the Astros.
It was an uncharacteristic season for Abreu who was a staple in the White Sox lineup for nine years. During his near-decade on the south side, Abreu was a model in offensive production making three All-Star appearances winning three Silver Slugger Awards, 2014 Rookie of the Year, and 2020 AL MVP. During that stretch, he slashed .292/.354/.506 with six 100-plus RBI seasons and hit 243 home runs, third most in White Sox history.
On paper, the move to Houston was a perfect fit for Abreu. He was in a winning environment with battle-tested veterans and plenty of lineup protection. It also allowed him to play in a dome, which was significant because the bulk of his struggles in Chicago came in the first few months of the season when the weather was cold. Unfortunately, things quickly went from bad to worse.
Abreu had the worst season of his career in 2023 hitting .237 with a 21.9% strikeout rate. The following season his walk rate plummeted to a career-worst 3.3% while his strikeout rate increased to 23.3%. Meanwhile, his power also evaporated. Abreu posted a career-worst .195 slugging percentage with just two home runs in 120 plate appearances. Even after getting sent to the minor to work on his game he still only managed to hit .120 with the Astros forcing the front office to cut their losses.
Seeing that he will be 38 at the start of next season, it seems unlikely that he will return to form. However, he has been touted as a mentor to younger players and leads by example with his toughness and effort on the diamond. That and his impressive track record may be enough for a team to take a flier on Abreu for a minor league deal depending on his production in the Puerto Rican Winter League.
