Cuban first baseman Jose Abreu agreed to a six-year, $68 million contract with the Chicago White Sox on Friday.The deal isn't official yet because a physical is still pending.
Abreu could play first base or be the designated hitter. He joins a team that went 63-99 and finished second in the AL Central this season. Abreu, who defected in August and has established residency in Haiti, was cleared to sign with any team in September. Abreu hit .360 with three homeruns and nine RBI’s in this year’s World Baseball Classic, according to the Associated Press.
Abreu had been playing in Cuba’s top baseball league, Serie Nacional. This season in Serie Nacional, Abreu hit .382/.535/.735 with 13 homeruns, according to Sports Illustrated. His best season however can in the 2010-2011 season. During that season, Abreu hit .453/.597/.986 with 33 homeruns. That performance would translate to a .380/.493/.806 with over 70 homeruns in the majors, Sports Illustrated notes.
Abreu’s deal with the White Sox is the richest deal ever signed by an international free agent. It passes the six-year, $56 million contract the Texas Rangers gave Yu Darvish in January of last year. This year the White Sox scored the fewest runs in the American League. The White Sox hit just. 249 and saw their homerun total go from 211 to 148. Abreu could be just what the White Sox need.