Looks like Jose Abreu won’t be changing his socks after all.
The Chicago White Sox first baseman has been one of the hottest names on the Major League Baseball rumor mill this offseason, with the Boston Red Sox being considered a possible landing spot. But now Chicago is “unlikely” to trade the Cuban slugger, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported Thursday.
This certainly is a tough pill to swallow for Red Sox fans, as the team isn’t among the favorites to land Miami Marlins outfielder Giancarlo Stanton, and wasn’t even given a chance to pursue Japanese two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani.
So, why are the White Sox electing to hold on to Abreu?
Well, the 30-year-old is a great player who’s managed at least a 290 batting average, 25 home runs and 100 RBI in each season in each of his four MLB seasons — so there’s that. But the White Sox reportedly want a “significant return” for Abreu, and haven’t fielded convincing offers from any teams.
Although the Red Sox have plenty of talent on the major league level, they only have two prospects in MLB’s Top-100 list. And considering the White Sox are in the midst of a heavy rebuild, they likely want premier prospects in exchange for one of the best hitters in baseball.
Still, there’s a long way to go this offseason, so it wouldn’t surprise us if the White Sox eventually change their tune.
