According to MLB.com and Fox Sports the Chicago White Sox and Jose Dariel Abreu have agreed to a six-year, $68-million contract with the White Sox, pending the outcome of a physical.The 26-year-old slugger defected this summer.
Buster Olney reported Thursday night the White Sox were front-runners to land Abreu at around $70 million. Olney also reported the Boston Red Sox were out of the running and the Houston Astros had fallen short with a bid of $55 million.
Abreu, 26, hit .345 with 19 homers and 60 RBI in just 264 at-bats in the 2012-13 Cuban season. His best year came in 2010-11, when he hit .453/.597/.986 with 33 homers and 93 RBI in 66 games.
The 6-foot-3, 250-pound Abreu is a right-handed hitter who can also be inserted as the designated hitter. At this spring’s World Baseball Classic, he batted .360 (9-for-25) with three home runs and nine RBIs.
The White Sox freed some $40 million in payroll this season when Jake Peavy was traded to the Red Sox and Alex Rios was dealt to the Texas Rangers. Konerko also made $13.5 million in the last year of his White Sox deal, while Gavin Floyd was paid $9.5 million in the final year of his contract.
