How Abreu almost landed with White Sox division rival

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José Abreu signing with the Astros might have been “emotional” to the White Sox, but it could’ve been a lot worse.

The Guardians had “significant interest” in Abreu before he signed with the Astros, according to Paul Hoynes of the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

In fact, Cleveland offered the longtime White Sox first baseman a three-year deal, but $60 million was “beyond their reach,” Hoynes reported.

Abreu signed a three-year deal with the Astros worth $58.5 million. He was introduced to Houston media on Tuesday and said the White Sox made an offer to bring him back in 2023.

The White Sox now will move forward with Andrew Vaughn at first base. But while they have him as Abreu's heir apparent, general manager Rick Hahn empathizes with the emotional element of a franchise icon leaving for another team.

MORE: Rick Hahn discusses Jose Abreu's departure to Astros

“Intellectually, I knew this day was possible,” Hahn, who declined to discuss the club's negotiations with Abreu, said Tuesday. “Objectively, it certainly makes sense for two different organizations, given their respective needs and fits and who's available on their roster, to make contract offers that are different.

"So it's a reality that, objectively, two different teams can land in two different places when it comes to a player. I've seen enough of this over the years to know that it was intellectually possible.

"But I also understand the fan standpoint, it's a shock to the system. It's lousy. It might make all the sense of the world objectively. But it's still a shock to the system. You get that, you feel that.”

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