 |
| Jose Abreu |
Longtime first baseman Jose Abreu is leaving town. He's agreed to a three-year deal with the World Series champion Houston Astros. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed, but sources say Abreu will make about $60 million over the lifetime of the deal.
During his nine-year career with the Sox, Abreu appeared in 1,270 games and batted .292/.354/.506 with 243 home runs, 16 triples, 303 doubles and 863 RBIs. He posted five seasons of 30 home runs or more, six seasons of 100 RBIs or more, and he won the American League MVP with 19 homers and 60 RBIs in the COVID-shortened 60-game season in 2020.
For Abreu, Houston is a perfect fit. The Astros were ready to move on from Yuli Gurriel as their first baseman. Abreu, 35, will bat sixth in the Houston batting order -- behind Jose Altuve, Jeremy Pena, Alex Bregman, Yordan Alvarez and Kyle Tucker -- and he will not be expected to carry the team, like he was in Chicago.
This move also presents Abreu with his best chance to win a championship. The Astros have advanced to the AL Championship Series in six consecutive seasons. Four times, they have advanced to the World Series. Two times, they have won the World Series.
The Astros are actually "competing for multiple championships," unlike the Sox, who are established pretenders.
So, it's a great move for Abreu, but where does that leave the Sox?
Well, there isn't a single position player left on the Chicago roster who you can point to and say, "I know what that man is going to give me." Abreu was that guy, and now he's gone.
Go around the diamond, and you'll see that the Sox have a health question or a performance question at every position:
Catcher: Yasmani Grandal is coming off an injury-plagued season that was the worst of his career.
First base: How confident are you that Andrew Vaughn is ready to take Abreu's place?
Second base: We don't know who is playing second base for the Sox.
Shortstop: Injuries limited Tim Anderson to 79 games last season. He turns 30 in June.
Third base: Yoan Moncada was a combination of injured and bad throughout 2022.
Left field: We don't know who is playing left field for the Sox.
Center field: Because of injuries, Luis Robert had zero home runs and only two RBIs after the All-Star break in 2022.
Right field: Oscar Colas seems like he has a legitimate chance to win the job. Will he hit as a rookie?
Designated hitter: Injury questions have moved Eloy Jimenez from left field to full-time DH. Hey, he gets hurt running the bases, too, so hold your breath.
None of this inspires confidence, does it? Sure, Abreu's getting older, and his power has declined. But he's been the one guy the Sox can count on for years and years. Now, who are you leaning on?
It’s scary how many holes are showing up on this team. Does management realize it? Its even scarier that they have let it get this bad.
ReplyDeleteManagement thinks this team is better than it is. They keep referring to a "championship core." What championships would those be? The Sox have been in their so-called "window to win" for three seasons. They've played seven total playoff games and gone 2-5. Compare that track record to, say, the Astros.
ReplyDelete