Giants favorite to sign Cuban slugger Abreu

Top international talent Jose Abreu is being eyed by several major league teams, but the Giants may be the favorite to land the Cuban slugger.

Sources say that San Francisco is the front runner to sign the 26-year-old first baseman, according to Joe Frisario of MLB.com.

Giants GM Brian Sabean was spotted in the Dominican Republic scouting Abreu back in September.

Abreu is expected to hit the open market this winter and is already drawing attention from the Miami Marlins and Texas Rangers in addition to the Giants.

Major league officials anticipate that Abreu will command a bigger contract than Yasiel Puig's seven-year $42 million deal with the Dodgers.

"The risk and cost assessment has to be part of the equation," Giants vice president Bobby Evans told CSNBayArea.com Insider Andrew Baggarly. "As for the rewards, you do look at what some of these recent high-risk signings have done. It does give you a sense of `This is the potential.' It does give you that desire to say, `Hey, can we get the next one?'"

http://www.csnbayarea.com/giants/report-giants-favorite-sign-cuban-slugger-abreu

I don't know much about this guy, but it sounds like the Giants are very interested. Could he be the next Puig?

I read that Abreu is a power hitter more than anything, whereas a lot of people consider Puig to be a 5 tool player.

I remember reading an article on Bleacher Report saying that if Abreu goes into a slump, then all you're left with is an average first baseman. Granted, this is all hearsay, and there was only the WBC to show what he has. It is really hard for us as fans to make our own judgements until we can see more of him on a regular basis.

The risk is really great, especially considering our spotty history with international players (I.E. Angel Villalona and even Osvaldo Fernandez). I just hope the F.O. and scouting department really take their time to gauge how good this guy can be for us.

He is a little older than Puig, and he is supposedly asking for a higher salary than Puig got from the Dodgers.

I guess we'll see what happens. Either way the Giants feel like they have to do something to counteract the Dodgers moves. I just hope the moves they make pan out, and I hope he doesn't throw tantrums like Puig.

I hope the Giants don't try to do ridiculous things just to keep up with the Dodgers. The Dodgers can spend like crazy if they want to. That does not necessarily mean that you will win a championship and I think the Giants should do their own thing and not worry about what everyone else is doing. A move like this seems like that kind of move. But you never know. He may pan out. I just hope the Giants don't throw the bank at him to find out.

Originally posted by GiantsFan:
I hope the Giants don't try to do ridiculous things just to keep up with the Dodgers. The Dodgers can spend like crazy if they want to. That does not necessarily mean that you will win a championship and I think the Giants should do their own thing and not worry about what everyone else is doing. A move like this seems like that kind of move. But you never know. He may pan out. I just hope the Giants don't throw the bank at him to find out.

I totally agree, and tonight it was proven that for at least this season, the Dodgers spending obscenely did not in fact buy a championship.

I know this news is a couple days old, but it looks like Abreu is signing with the Whitesox for $70 million (5-6 years, i'm not too sure). Which is crazy because Cespedus got around $36 million and Puig got $40-45 million.

If he's hot at the plate and can consistently sustain his offensive production, then this is a good deal. I think him signing with an AL team is by design. I'm guessing he'll be DHing more often than not.

We may have dodged a bullet.

That is an insane amount of money. There is no way we were favorites if that was the kind of money he was looking for or was able to get. That is a huge amount on a gamble. Risky.

Originally posted by madbuster:
That is an insane amount of money. There is no way we were favorites if that was the kind of money he was looking for or was able to get. That is a huge amount on a gamble. Risky.

Yeah, I totally agree.

I read an article on Bleacher Report saying that the Giants actually offered the same annual salary (Around $11-12 million a year) that he got from the Whitesox (6 years $67-70 million), but for less years (i'm thinking a 3-4 year deal).

I can't blame him for taking it, and I'm glad we backed off. 6 years is a long time, especially if he doesn't produce at the major league level.