Chicago White Sox first baseman José Abreu had the opportunity to test the free agent market, but he will instead remain on the South Side - at least for a little while longer.
According to the team, Abreu agreed to a three-year, $50 million contract. That means Abreu will get a $5-million signing bonus, $11 million in 2020, $16 million in 2021 and $18 million in 2022 with $4 million deferred.
Reports had been circulating that Abreu had interest from several teams, including the Miami Marlins, but earlier reports indicated Abreu was mulling a three-year contract offer from the White Sox.
"This is a dream come true for me and my family,” Abreu said in a statement. “To the fans, I told you I would come back. I never doubted it. Everybody knows the group of talented players that we have, and I want to help guide them and together make the Chicago White Sox a championship team.”
The 32-year-old player's 123 RBIs were the 10th-highest total in Sox history and the most since 2002. He recorded his fourth career season of 30-plus homers and 100-plus RBIs, joining Frank Thomas, Paul Konerko and Magglio Ordonez as the only players in franchise history to do so.
“From the moment he stepped into the major leagues, José Abreu has been a leader on the field and in the clubhouse,” Rick Hahn, White Sox general manager, said in a statement. “He has consistently delivered run production at a historic pace, and with each passing season, his leadership role within our clubhouse – with both American-born and Latin-American players – has repeatedly grown."
