Chicago White Sox Avoid Arbitration with Jose Abreu
Jose Abreu had voided the final three years of his contract, choosing to go to arbitration with the Chicago White Sox instead. However, both parties avoided that process, as Abreu has agreed to a one year deal.
When Jose Abreu signed his six year contract with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent, it included the provision that Abreu could opt out of the deal and enter arbitration. As he was guaranteed another $34 Million, it was debatable as to whether or not he would take that route. Since he had his worst season in the Majors, hitting 25 home runs with a .293/.353/.468 batting line, it was a bit of a surprise when he chose to enter arbitration.
As it turns out, he is going to make close to the same amount he would have next season anyway. Abreu and the White Sox have avoided arbitration, agreeing to a one year contract worth $10.825 Million. While it is slightly less than he would have made with the signing bonus factored in, this decision could work out well in the future for Abreu.
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It is quite rare for a player to lose money in arbitration. In fact, even those players who perform worse tend to see a decent increase in salary with every trip through the process. With Abreu having established that baseline of $10.825 Million, he could be set up to cash in over the next two years.
Of course, there are risks in this decision. An injury that causes him to miss significant amounts of time could lead to the White Sox choosing to let him go. However, if he improves on last year, and gets back to his form in 2014 and 2015, that gamble would be well worth it.
How Abreu performs next year could also determine his future with the White Sox in another way. As they are in the midst of a rebuild, and are selling anything that is not nailed down, Abreu could be an attractive piece in the trade market. Or, at just 29 years old, Abreu could be the type of cornerstone player to build around as the White Sox look to get back into contention.
The Chicago White Sox have one less concern, as they have avoided arbitration with Jose Abreu. Now, we will have to wait to see if opting in to arbitration was the right move for the White Sox slugger.
