Jose Abreu had a chance to return to the Chicago White Sox, but ultimately turned them down for the Houston Astros.
At this point, the question remains which team wasn’t in on new Houston Astros first baseman Jose Abreu?
The former White Sox star did receive a lucrative offer from his old team, only to turn them down. Both Florida teams showed interest, as he initially wanted to play closer to home. Even the Boston Red Sox proclaimed the 2020 AL MVP as their “No. 1 target”. Ouch.
Yet, Abreu chose the Astros over all these teams, if only because of their glaring need at first base with Yuli Gurriel heading elsewhere, and the fact they won the World Series last season. Abreu wants to win a ring above all else, and he has a chance to do that in Houston.
Jose Abreu turns down White Sox contract
It’s surprising that Jose Abreu even mentioned turning down the White Sox, as it surely won’t help fans on the South Side of Chicago get over him leaving. While the details of Chicago’s offer aren’t known right now, could it have been much worse than the three-year, $60 million deal he eventually accepted in Houston?
The Astros paid a steep price for Abreu, but they seemingly had to if they were going to improve upon an already-stacked roster. The White Sox were the only organization Abreu had ever known.
Teams like the Cubs, Red Sox, Marlins and even Rays all had marginal interest in Abreu to start free agency. It was always Houston that deemed him their most important asset, especially after Anthony Rizzo opted to stay with the New York Yankees. Jim Crane knows the rest of baseball is coming for the Astros after their second World Series title in five years.
Abreu, for now, is likely slotted in to the No. 6 spot in Houston’s lineup, barring future changes. That is an incredible luxury to have.