On Wednesday, Jon Heyman reported that the White Sox were in active talks with the Red Sox and other teams about first baseman Jose Abreu. This rumor lead to many strong feelings from White Sox fans about whether or not the star player should be dealt. Here are a few of the opinions that we received from fans:
Sam Kuchta (@skuchta28)
I believe that trading Jose Abreu would be a horrible mistake for this team. Now yes, Abreu‘s trade value is higher than anyone else’s on the team right now, and the Sox would probably get a valuable return for him, but Abreu’s value to this team goes beyond just what he brings to the plate. The White Sox have done a tremendous job collecting an extraordinary amount of young talent that will help them compete in a few years but all of that talent would be wasted if they didn’t have someone on this team to lead them. Veteran players are essential in uniting and inspiring the clubhouse when facing turmoil, they’ve been there before, they know how to get through it! If that veteran presence isn’t there, a clubhouse can fall apart and lose who they are. Jose Abreu is that leader for the White Sox and getting rid of him would be betraying everything that we’ve been trying to build within this clubhouse, and it could be disastrous for this team’s championship hopes.
Janet K. (@rebacat27)
I wouldn’t be opposed to trading him depending on what we get in return. Since we are rebuilding, I believe it could be beneficial to let him go now. What I would strongly oppose to, however, is trading Avisail Garcia!
Suleiman Grundy (@ghettoglass)
I think they should hang on to him unless the return is incredible. The Sox have the talent to contend sooner than expected, like the Yankees did. Jose would be a key contributor on a contender.
Jack Benton (@jackbenton)
Personally, I think they should hang on to him. He is a great hitter and becoming a better infielder. He also is a key to the future by being a mentor and clubhouse guy for Robert, Moncada, Jimenez, etc. Their growth is vital to the White Sox success in the future and I think Abreu assists in that. I also don’t think the Red Sox are going to give up the same amount for him like they did Sale. Your return would have to be MLB ready talent.
Will of Red Wall (@WillofRedwall)
I think the Sox should hold onto him personally. I think he holds obvious value on field but from watching him interact with Moncada and other young guys he seems to be the glue in the locker room. So as nice as it would be to get another top prospect or player, I think there is more value in letting Jose be that guy that brings everyone together, kind of like Paul konerko did. Every great team needs a guy like Jose Abreu. Especially with all the young talent coming up in the next couple years, he will be truly invaluable.
Drew Vozza (@dv4829)
I’m not very happy about it I think they should hang on to him and have him be the veteran leader around the clubhouse that the young guys can learn from. Unless they get a very good return in a trade, I don’t think it’s worth it.
DC (@BIGtimeDC)
I think if the Sox trade him now they would be selling high..he’s 30 years old coming off a great year. Trading him makes it more likely to get the #1 pick next year & Jose would also be entering the back end of his prime when the Sox are expected to be contenders. The return they get for him should be huge though..not quite Chris Sale-esque but something similar to the Adam Eaton haul plus a bit more. Definitely don’t want to see him go and I know how huge of a part of the team he is on the field and off, but if the right deal is there Hahn should pull the trigger and trade him. We’d have head and shoulders the best farm talent in the league.
MG (@MitchellGwodzz)
Jose Abreu has been the cornerstone of the White Sox for the past 3-4 years. His love for his homeland has brought many eyes towards the Sox for young up & coming international players (Luis Robert, YoanMoncada) and is one of the best hitters in the game. If they don’t get a haul for him in return, it isn’t wise to ship him the young guys lean on him and he can be a giant contributor in the future.
Vinnie Parise (@vPariseFM)
I believe that it’s in the team’s best interest to keep him. He was a Top 5 player in the AL in total bases and I believe he can be a great leader for the young prospects the team has. He has been nothing short of a great hitter in his time here.
David Wildman (@d_wild21)
For me, it depends on if they’re blown away or not. I’d be upset if the package centers around JBJ and a prospect. I read some speculation about Devers or Benentendi, obviously then I’d be fine with it. I don’t see either of those two realistically being available so in short, I think he’s more valuable to us than any other team for his locker room presence. All I need to do is look back at how Moncada took off after Jose switched his bats.
Tommy Gro (@Tommy_gro)
I think we should definitely keep him in the organization because he is so much more important then what he does on the field. He is an amazing mentor to the young players like Luis Robert and Yoan Moncada and you can see from Moncada’s Instagram post that he loves Abreu here. Plus, he is amazing on the field he’s just come off his best season since his rookie year with a .300 batting average and a 100+ RBIs. He also doesn’t have amazing trade value because he isn’t that young and first baseman in general don’t have good trade value. So I definitely don’t want him to be traded.
The Sox On 35th crew would like to thank all of those who shared their opinions with us today.
