Jose Abreu chose to sign with the Houston Astros over his former team the Chicago White Sox
Former MVP Jose Abreu has signed a three-year deal with the Houston Astros, leaving the Chicago White Sox after nine productive seasons. In his introductory press conference with the Astros, Abreu revealed that the White Sox did make him an offer to stay. It wasn't just an offer, according to Abreu, it was a good offer. This indicates that money was not the sole reason for him leaving.
This was heartbreaking for White Sox fans, many of whom viewed Abreu as the face of the franchise. He certainly earned the title, as he was one of the most consistent stars they had for the better part of a decade. However, Jose Abreu wanted to end up in a winning situation. If a championship is the goal, he couldn't do any better than signing with the Houston Astros.
Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reported the comments about the Chicago White Sox offer via Twitter.
"The White Sox made me an offer, it was a really good offer, but we'll leave it at there," José Abreu said through an interpreter.
"The White Sox made me an offer, it was a really good offer, but we'll leave it at there" - Jose Abreu
Abreu is no stranger to dominant baseball and has won many awards in his nine-year career. The Chicago White Sox may not have found championship success during his tenure, but he left a lasting legacy in the city.
That legacy extends to the team as well, as White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement shared by Bob Nightengale.
Chicago White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf on Jose Abreu’s legacy in Chicago https://t.co/JhfmzuarD2
"I want to thank him for always representing the values of the White Sox organization and the great city of Chicago -- strength, hard work, pride and tenacity. His legacy is written in the White Sox record books forever" - Jerry Reinsdorf
This is high praise from the owner of an MLB team, especially for a player who is still active. This shows part of why his signing with the Houston Astros is so painful for Chicago White Sox fans.
Jose Abreu has a chance to win a World Series with the Houston Astros, something he never had with the Chicago White Sox
Abreu accomplished many incredible things in his time with the White Sox, but in sports, success is measured by championships. The White Sox are a team on the rise, but they are not yet near the Houston Astros level. There is no shame in that, as very few teams in the league are at that level.
Abreu himself said he chose Houston because he wanted to win, as Julia Morales reported on Twitter.
José Abreu very excited to be a part of the Astros and said he’s here because he wants to win. https://t.co/3RFRK74lZQ
"José Abreu very excited to be a part of the Astros and said he’s here because he wants to win" - Julia Morales
Jose Abreu will be able to make an immediate and noticeable difference for the Astros. Astros reporter Michael Schwab shared Abreu's career statistics against American League West teams. Take note of his dominance against the Los Angeles Angels and Texas Rangers.
Jose Abreu career numbers vs the AL West:
-Mariners: .224 AVG, .690 OPS, 9 HR, 28 RBI
-Angels: .288 AVG, .952 OPS, 14 HR, 39 RBI
-A’s: .271 AVG, .805 OPS, 11 HR, 33 RBI
-Rangers: .305 AVG, .853 OPS, 8 HR, 39 RBI
"Jose Abreu career numbers vs the AL West" - Michael Schwab
They won the championship in 2022, and are poised to do so again in 2023 with Jose Abreu in the lineup.