How Abreu is mentoring Sox' future, as well as present

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José Abreu is apparently no longer content to limit his mentorship of young Chicago White Sox players to his current teammates.

In fact, his guiding hand is now reaching down to players who might never be his teammates.

Who knows what the post-2022 future holds for one of the best hitters in franchise history. His current contract is up after this year, and while it's nearly impossible to see him playing for another team — he's said as much and relayed that team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf agrees — it's fair to wonder when the 35-year-old Abreu might call it a career. Of course, it's also plenty obvious he's still one of the most productive hitters in the game, just one year removed from his reign as American League MVP. Another contract with the White Sox would come as no surprise, and it would keep the anchor of the team's lineup right in the middle of the batting order.

RELATED: Sox prospect Céspedes has work to do before big league talk

That's all a conversation for next winter, but it's brought up to illustrate that the paths of Abreu and Yoelqui Céspedes might not intersect for long, if at all, on the major league stage.

That hasn't stopped Abreu, though, from being Abreu.

The mentorship he's provided for the White Sox' current crop of young stars — specifically Yoán Moncada, Eloy Jiménez and Luis Robert — is being offered up to prospects, too.

"Last year during spring training, José Abreu approached me, and he told me, 'Whatever you need, just reach out to me and I'm here for you,'" Céspedes said Thursday, speaking through team interpreter Billy Russo from the White Sox' minor league minicamp in Arizona. "That's what I did. Every time that I needed something, I reached out to him and he gave me a lot of advice. That was great. That was really helpful for me.

"I'm starting my career here. He already has all that experience, and he's a very good baseball player. When you mix that, it's great. When you are a kid and you have your dad that you are trying to follow him and follow the stuff that he does, it's kind of the same here with José and me. I follow him and I see all the things that he does, and it's good to have that reference. It's good to have that figure you can follow."

Though Céspedes made clear Thursday his designs on reaching the majors this year, it remains to be seen whether that will become a reality. White Sox assistant general manager Chris Getz spoke earlier this week about the types of improvements Céspedes will need to make to progress through the minor leagues. Getz pointing out that Céspedes "got a taste" of the Double-A level in 2021 could signal there's more to accomplish there before he moves on to Triple-A, let alone the big leagues.

But despite a lackluster showing in the Arizona Fall League and some less-than-glowing reviews from prospect-evaluator types, Getz insisted the White Sox are as bullish about Céspedes' future as ever. And though that might not mean he's the immediate answer to questions about the team's right-field situation, it points to potential major league contributions that could help keep the White Sox' contention window propped open well into the future.

With that in mind, Abreu's continuing the work he's been doing since the darkest days of the team's rebuilding effort, when he took young players like Moncada, Jiménez and Robert under his wing and enrolled them in the José Abreu Mentorship Program, which basically teaches young, talented players to work as hard as they possibly can and be awesome hitters. Those three might not have needed Abreu's guidance to realize their already sky-high potential as batsmen, but there's no doubt that his leadership has helped them in countless ways that they will be quick to rave about.

Céspedes could be next. He already sounds like an Abreu disciple, after all.

"The biggest advice that José Abreu gave me last year was just to work hard and keep working no matter what," he said. "I agree with it. It doesn't matter how good or how bad the moment is for you, you have to keep working. I think that applies to every sport, to every athlete. You just need to work and to keep working hard on the things you need to know and the things that are going to put you in a good position and give you success.

"When he told me that, I right away agreed with him and I applied that. Because in the sport or regular life, you're going to pass through good or bad moments. The things that are going to keep you moving forward is that work. That is where you're going to find the tools to keep moving."

Most fans are probably more concerned about whether Céspedes will hit like Abreu rather than sound like him. But while the guy ranked as the top player in last year's international free-agent class continues to work on his game, he has to continue to adjust to life in a new country, too.

Céspedes spoke Thursday of the difficulties of living in a country where he wasn't familiar with the language, something he's worked on. He answered a couple questions during his media session in English, saying he "loves" the language and continues to practice.

But along with that gung-ho attitude to fit in in the United States, he's happy to have some reminders of home. Thankfully for him, the White Sox are replete with Cuban players, and even the just-underway minicamp features a couple notable Cuban prospects in Norge Vera and Yolbert Sánchez. Oscar Colás, the team's big-name international signee this winter, will join them shortly.

"I feel like home," Céspedes said, in English. "Because in Cuba, everyone speaks Spanish, and we're joking all the time. I feel, right now, like home, like Cuba."

Abreu, of course, is also one of Céspedes' countrymen, and that's another thing Abreu can provide as a mentor: comfort.

Abreu's career with the White Sox could very well last past 2022. But it can't last forever. Biology always has something to say about things. Even still, Abreu is taking it upon himself to help shape the White Sox' future. It's no surprise from the guy who's been hailed as a role model for years, the guy who was the biggest believer in the team's bright future during the rebuilding years, a future that's now manifested itself with championship contention.

Rick Hahn's plan was always for that contention to last and last, and while "last" is currently where the White Sox' farm system ranks, there are prospects in the minors who could make that goal a reality. Céspedes is one of them. And whether he reaches the South Side in 2022 or after, he's getting the same kind of treatment from Abreu that current big leaguers are getting.

And that right there could help extend that championship window long after Abreu's statue stands on the outfield concourse.

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