Will Abreu be a White Sox in 2023?

[wegner]

3 minutes ago, The Kids Can Play said:

The Sox still get the last laugh over the loser Cubs on this trade, because we also got Dylan Cease. Even with Eloy being injured so much and not living up to 2019 season, we are still light years ahead in this trade with Cease as our pitcher over Quintana. Hahn obviously hasn't down well with his trades, but this is one of his few good ones.

You are right though, Eloy has gotten to big and fat. He needs to lose some serious weight in the offseason. He also needs to work on getting more flexible through some Yoga or some other quality flexibility program.

I am still confident and hopeful that if Eloy can come to spring training in much better shape and lighter, as well as being the full time (not allowed to have a glove) DH, then he can still be a big run producer for the Sox. On the other hand, if Eloy comes to Spring training in 2023 at the weight he played at this year and with his lack of flexibility he displayed, then I think he will always be capable of getting hurt, even as a full time DH...just because of his inability to run the bases without getting injured. In fact, if Eloy doesn't do anything to improve himself and comes to spring training in the same bad shape as this year, then the Sox should simply trade him before the season even starts. The Sox wouldn't need a player that just showed the organization he was too unmotivated and lazy to care enough to get better in the off-season, so he could hopefully play most of season healthy.

Be careful what you wish for.....Fat Palka was much better than Skinny Palka.

[The Kids Can Play]

18 minutes ago, wegner said:

Be careful what you wish for.....Fat Palka was much better than Skinny Palka.

I am not asking Eloy to lose 30 or 40 lbs. and be skinny and weak! I'm asking Eloy to lose 15-20 lbs. by eating a better diet and while losing weight, get in the gym and do the proper strength training and flexibility work to maintain his power. 

It's been proven that through the proper diet and strength and flexibility regimen, a player can lose weight and maintain power. Eloy makes enough money to be able to hire the proper people in the off-season to coordinate and monitor his diet and workouts. As I said, if he isn't willing to make that sacrifice, then we don't need a lazy and unmotivated player that will always be injured and on the IL and not putting up the power numbers we need from him.  

[GreenSox]

There's not much they can affirmatively do this offseason to improve (as long as RH is in charge), so I hope they just hold.   Hahn should pay-off Pollock, pick up Gio's option, sign a LF with emphasis on D, sign a serviceable starter,  and then take a nap the entire winter (like he did last December, but for the entire winter).  Let Abreu go, and firmly plant Vaughn at 1B.  Eloy at DH.  Give Sheets a year as bench bat, playing a day or 2 in the field per week; hope Sosa or Gonzales proves to be a major league player;  see what Colas can do.  Figure out what to do with Crochet.  Hope Montgomery develops to be ready for '24.  
Then, wake-up Hahn and July and see if he can move some players like a revived Gio, Hendriks, Lynn, and, if we get lucky, other relievers.  Could also get lucky and be competitive.

Edited October 11, 2022 by GreenSox

[ShoeLessRob]

Eloy needs to embrace the DH role, really let himself go, gain another 40-50 LBS, and become this team’s David Ortiz for the next 10 years. /green

[hi8is]

8 hours ago, southsider2k5 said:

wondering if we really do have some sort of a schism in the Sox front office

Gee ya think?

[Lip Man 1]

3 hours ago, hi8is said:

Gee ya think?

Had an hour and a half conversation tonight with another person who has been around the organization. I can tell you the comments reinforced the notion that I hearing from others, that this front office is basically dysfunctional and that even includes people in the scouting, development and ancillary departments.  

[Chimpton]

12 hours ago, pcq said:

Jose might finish his career in FL. Miami might sign him. Tampa is too cheep.

At least it will be warmer for him in April!

[Capital G]

I don't understand the people that want him back as this team is constructed. 

Unless you think we trade Eloy or EV we have zero need for a 1b who couldn't hit 20 hrs this year. He's only getting older.

You're literally letting your emotions guide your decisions for what is best for this team. 

I love Jose. Thank him for all he's done and put up with. He's a great player. Wish him the best wherever he signs and looking forward to his retirement as a Sox.

[Chimpton]

53 minutes ago, Capital G said:

I don't understand the people that want him back as this team is constructed. 

Unless you think we trade Eloy or EV we have zero need for a 1b who couldn't hit 20 hrs this year. He's only getting older.

You're literally letting your emotions guide your decisions for what is best for this team. 

I love Jose. Thank him for all he's done and put up with. He's a great player. Wish him the best wherever he signs and looking forward to his retirement as a Sox.

But neither Eloy or AV can be relied on to last a full season without spells on the IL whereas Jose has been fairly robust over the seasons, and as for not being able to hit 20 hrs this season, neither did any other White Sox batter, so should we get rid of them as well?

[zisk]

20 hours ago, Greg Hibbard said:

Well he is a 4 WAR player; it is a statistic, not an opinion. It’s like saying you have the opinion that he didn’t hit over .300 this year.

Checked baseball reference 4.1 OWAR -0.9 DWAR. Total WAR 4.2. Where did he pick up the extra 1.0WAR? Maybe his baserunning?

In what universe is Jose a plus baserunner? If Jose is a 4.1 offensive 1B. Maybe all the other 1B are worse. Is it a down period in the AL

for 1st base in general?

[knightni]

I mean, is he better than Eloy as a DH? Probably not.

Will he have better stats at 1B over the next three years than Vaughn? Possibly, but not likely.

Cespedes/Pollock is LF, Colas is RF.

Sheets is backup 1B/DH.

 

They need a lefty SP, a starting catcher, and a solid 2B.

Abreu is unfortunately a victim of numbers and age.

He's always been great for us, but there's just nowhere for him on this roster in 2023.

[RibbieRubarb]

I think we need one more thread on this subject...2 right next to each other is not enough

 

[Jack Parkman]

11 hours ago, Capital G said:

I don't understand the people that want him back as this team is constructed. 

Unless you think we trade Eloy or EV we have zero need for a 1b who couldn't hit 20 hrs this year. He's only getting older.

You're literally letting your emotions guide your decisions for what is best for this team. 

I love Jose. Thank him for all he's done and put up with. He's a great player. Wish him the best wherever he signs and looking forward to his retirement as a Sox.

They don't really have a choice but to bring most of the team back and hope they get better. 

[pcq]

On 10/10/2022 at 12:19 AM, Balta1701 said:

If over the course of a full season Sheets is a .715 OPS guy, he has no permanent place on a big league bench. He can’t play the OF any more and his only positions are 1b and DH. His main utility would be that you could stash him at Charlotte and have him available as a replacement level player when your DH or 1B get hurt.

He did put up a .785 or so OPS after he came back from the minor leagues and tried to go the other way against the shift less. That is a tolerable 1b and fringey starter at that spot. What happens when the hitting coach stops telling guys who can pull the ball for HR to hit the ball on the ground to beat the shift? I dunno. I’m not sure he’s serviceable.

Engel has one more year of arbitration eligibility left. He was paid $2 million this year, and salaries usually go up a little in arbitration so he’s probably available at about $2.75 million if you want him. However, that is more than he would get if he was a free agent coming off this past year. With the obvious money crunch the White Sox are facing, it seems likely they will non tender him. But, that does leave them a need for a part time backup OF.

Sheets earns a bench spot by being a lefty. High praise. 

[Lip Man 1]

1 hour ago, Jack Parkman said:

They don't really have a choice but to bring most of the team back and hope they get better. 

Like I was told by a current member of the front office, "The Sox are past the point in this rebuild where they should have to "hope" things get better."

[Jack Parkman]

13 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Like I was told by a current member of the front office, "The Sox are past the point in this rebuild where they should have to "hope" things get better."

They're committed to this core group. Either they develop/get better or they don't. 

We should stop talking about the 2016-17 rebuild and start talking about the next one. It's apparent that the 2016-17 rebuild has failed already. 

Unfortunately the FO is going to spend the next 5 years trying to salvage what is left. 

Edited October 12, 2022 by Jack Parkman

[Balta1701]

45 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Like I was told by a current member of the front office, "The Sox are past the point in this rebuild where they should have to "hope" things get better."

This is why the current GM and management regime has utterly failed (again) and needs to be replaced.

[HOFHurt35]

On 10/11/2022 at 12:39 PM, zisk said:

Just my opinion, Jose isn't a 4 war player. Don't know how they figure WAR. Putting up an .825 OPS and being a mediocre defensive

1B doesn't cut it. His 60+ walks a year do not make up for 15 homers as a 1B. He has been a helluva player for a long time. But it's

time to cut bait.

 

It be easy to have said this had this so called "core" developed into what it was suppose to. 

I still struggle to find one single guy on the remaining roster right now where I can point to say, yeah, that guy will give me an .800 OPS next season and play 155 games for me. 

Not one single guy. 

Availability is a huge part of this game, Abreu laces them up each and every single night despite being in pain.    This will be badly missed. 

 

[hi8is]

55 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

Like I was told by a current member of the front office, "The Sox are past the point in this rebuild where they should have to "hope" things get better."

No clue what that means.

[ShoeLessRob]

3 hours ago, RibbieRubarb said:

I think we need one more thread on this subject...2 right next to each other is not enough

 

I’m starting the next thread, “Who will Jose Abreu be in 2023?”

[Balta1701]

1 minute ago, ShoeLessRob said:

I’m starting the next thread, “Who will Jose Abreu be in 2023?”

I'll do you one better, Why is Abreu?

[Lip Man 1]

21 minutes ago, hi8is said:

No clue what that means.

My sense is that this person means the Sox should have everything in place after a three year rebuild to really be able to contend like the Astros and Cubs did when they rebuilt. That if all that's left is to "hope" things get better then things have badly gone off the rails. 

That's what I took out of it.

[hi8is]

2 minutes ago, Lip Man 1 said:

My sense is that this person means the Sox should have everything in place after a three year rebuild to really be able to contend like the Astros and Cubs did when they rebuilt. That if all that's left is to "hope" things get better then things have badly gone off the rails. 

That's what I took out of it.

I guess they have more hope intact than most. ?

Thanks as always.

[greg775]

On 10/11/2022 at 1:16 PM, Greg Hibbard said:

Well he is a 4 WAR player; it is a statistic, not an opinion. It’s like saying you have the opinion that he didn’t hit over .300 this year.

Typical b.s. Shows up in the real life working world too, Arguably the best player on the team, best everyday grinder in the organization, likeable, still productive, he's the guy the company gladly gets rid of. And nobody is really outraged. Been there too long. Need new blood, young blood, blah blah. All a bunch of crud. Jose Abreu should retire a White Sox. I truly hope he goes to the Cubs just to rub it in the Sox front office faces when he hits .305 with 35 homers. Once the ball is deemed "live" again he'll go back to lift and pulling. So sad. This hurts our team A LOT. Sox better respond with some good additions to the roster. Subtracking Jose is not a positive, it's outrageous.

p.s. This is another sign of Hahn's failed rebuild and all those tank years going for naught. This was not the plan. Jose was supposed to be hoisting a trophy or two at the Sox parade or two,. Not leaving the team after a disgraceful .500 season.

Edited October 12, 2022 by greg775

[hi8is]

46 minutes ago, greg775 said:

Sox better respond with some good additions to the roster. Subtracking Jose is not a positive, it's outrageous.

I don’t buy that they’ve made a decision on him for one second. Won’t be surprised at all if they trade Vaughn for a SP and resign Jose.

Also won’t be surprised if Jose does move onto another team and Vaughn remains with us.

The 2023 off-season is going to be very revealing for sure. If they go into the season with 4 glaring fucking holes again… they are fucking clueless or don’t really give a s%*#.