With a seeming glut of bat-first, defense-limited options heading into next season, it was reasonable to assume that long-time Chicago White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu may actually hit free agency and look for a new home. It’s weird to think about him playing for another team, but the White Sox simply may decide to use those resources elsewhere, and turn first base over to Andrew Vaughn.
But, even if Abreu does leave the White Sox, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll leave Chicago …
Bruce Levine today reported on 670 The Score that the Chicago Cubs have interest in pursuing Abreu this offseason, and there’s no reason to think Abreu would be opposed to joining the Cubs.
To be sure, Levine wasn’t saying this is a done deal or that the Cubs would be his only suitor, but this is a connected Chicago guy linking things up, so I’m listening. (Of course, you always have to keep in mind in these situations that Abreu and his reps will be working to create the best market they can, so at least some grains of salt are necessary.)
Abreu, 35, has still been very productive the last couple years (.284/.365/.463/131 wRC+ between 2021 and 2022), and is a very capable defender at first base. There’s a potentially significant upgrade for the Cubs available right there. On a short-term deal? Heck yeah. I can see this making a lot of sense.
Critically for the Cubs, Abreu is a credible starting first baseman who can also spend time at DH if and when Matt Mervis is ready to start taking some regular at bats in the big leagues. In other words, Abreu is a legit bat that the Cubs can use no matter what happens with Mervis – and he provides extra protection just in case Mervis struggles and/or is not quite ready in the first half next year.
That’s to say nothing of Jose Abreu’s beloved status as a leader and mentor, which you wouldn’t hate having around a young Cubs team. He brings a great power and contact combination, and he’s not going to preclude the Cubs (financially) from doing anything else. And, hey, he’s already a Chicago guy.
There is a whole lot of sense here for a team like the Cubs at a moment like this. Stay tuned.