Jose Abreu will sign a deal with the Astros, reports say

CHICAGO – One of the most popular players in this era of White Sox baseball will be starting a new chapter of his career in Houston next season.

Per multiple reports, the first from Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Jose Abreu is finalizing a deal to join the reigning World Series champion Astros starting in 2023. Nightengale reports the contract will be for three years.

The team has yet to confirm the move.

This ends Abreu’s celebrated time with the White Sox where he became the face of the franchise over the past nine seasons. He was a three-time American League All-Star, a three-time AL Silver Slugger Award winner, and twice led the league in RBI.

In his first season in 2014, Abreu was named the AL’s Rookie of the Year, and in 2022 he was named the AL’s Most Valuable Player, the first on the White Sox to earn the honor since Frank Thomas in 1994.

Most of Abreu’s time in Chicago was spent as the leader on a rebuilding team as the franchise took a new direction in 2017. The first baseman aided the team’s eventual run to an AL Wild Card berth in 2020 and then the American League Central division title in 2021.

For his White Sox career, Abreu finished with a slash line of .292/.354/.506 with 303 doubles, 243 homers, and 863 RBI in 1,270 games over the course of nine seasons.

With Abreu gone, it’s expected that Andrew Vaughn will take his spot at first base, which was his position when he was drafted by the White Sox in the first round of the 2019 MLB Draft.