Chicago White Sox say Jose Abreu is not on the trade block

The Chicago White Sox are claiming that first baseman Jose Abreu is not on the trade block. At least, that is the case for now.

When the Chicago White Sox traded for Yonder Alonso, there were other dominoes expected to fall. First, the White Sox may have positioned themselves as a surprising destination for Manny Machado, given that Alonso is his brother in law. Second, What does the acquisition of Alonso mean for incumbent first baseman Jose Abreu, who is in the final year of team control?

At this point in time, that trade means nothing in terms of Abreu’s place on the roster. At least for now, the White Sox are saying that they do not have plans to trade him.

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It is understandable why Abreu would have a great deal of interest if he was made available. Even in what was considered a down season, he had a solid year for the White Sox in 2018. Last year, he produced a .265/.325/.478 batting line, hitting 22 homers and 36 doubles. Even though he posted his lowest OPS, home run, and RBI totals of his career, Abreu still had an OPS+ of 118, an above average bat that had virtually nothing in the lineup around him.

The White Sox also prize Abreu for what he brings off the field. He has become a mentor to the other young players on the roster, particularly Yoan Moncada. While a trade could make sense on paper, Abreu’s loss would go beyond his place in the lineup.

Alonso, while playing the same position, does not bring close to that same threat to the lineup. Coming off a career year in 2017, when he had a .266/.365/.501 batting line with 28 homers, he was unable to replicate that production. While he did hit 23 homers in 2018, Alonso slumped to a .250/.317/.421 batting line. If the White Sox do have designs on contending, they will need to have Abreu’s run production in the lineup.

The Chicago White Sox reportedly do not intend on trading Jose Abreu. As they look to contend in 2019, keeping Abreu is the right move.