Abreu keeps focus on 2022 season, not contract status originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
It's only March, but White Sox first baseman José Abreu is already getting asked about next season.
But as far as what the future may hold for the 35-year-old, it's too early to say.
Abreu is keeping his focus on the season ahead, not his contract status, as he enters the final year of his deal with the Sox.
"Let's see how the season goes and let's see if we accomplish all the things we want to accomplish," Abreu told reporters Wednesday. "See how I feel after the season.
"I'm pretty sure I'm going to consult with my family, see how I'm feeling, see how they're feeling and we are going to make a decision afterward. Right now, the focus is just to enjoy this season and have fun."
Chicago Baseball
That's a shift from the last time Abreu was nearing free agency. In 2019 — the final season of his initial six-year contract with the White Sox — he famously said, tongue in cheek, he would sign himself if the team didn't extend him.
"I’m going to be here, believe me. I’m going to be here," Abreu said that July. “I don’t want to miss this, I don’t want to miss what is coming, and I’m going to be here.”
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Of course, Abreu didn't have to sign himself. He and the Sox agreed to a three-year extension that November.
But, "we're talking about two different years, two different situations," Abreu said Wednesday.
Abreu has spent his entire eight-year career with the White Sox. He's a former MVP and a leader in the clubhouse who's been with the team from its rebuilding days to its current status as World Series contenders.
Whatever the future holds, his focus is on the White Sox making a deep run through October.
"I have to see what happens with this season," Abreu said. "My goal right now is just to have a very good season, stay healthy. That's one of my goals this season, whole season, see what happens at the end.
"Once the season ends, I will have to make a decision and see if I want to continue or if there's a chance to be here or if there's a chance to be in another place. We'll see once the season ends.
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