Abreu to opt out of White Sox contract, enter arbitration

Jose Abreu has decided to take his chances in arbitration.

The slugger has chosen to opt out of the final three years of his contract with the Chicago White Sox, instead entering arbitration for the next three seasons, according to Dan Hayes of CSN Chicago. He remains property of the White Sox through 2019.

By opting out, Abreu forfeited a guaranteed $34 million in salary from his original deal with the White Sox. That six-year, $68-million contract - which also included a $10-million signing bonus - would have paid him salaries of $10.5 million in 2017, $11.5 million in 2018, and $12 million in 2019, had he not gone the arbitration route.

Abreu signed his contract in October 2013 after defecting from Cuba several months prior. It was one of the largest free-agent deals ever handed out by the White Sox, and was also one of the biggest international free-agent contracts in baseball history.

Since arriving on the South Side, Abreu has turned into a feared right-handed slugger, and the linchpin of Chicago's lineup. The 29-year-old has hit at least 25 homers and 30 doubles, while driving in at least 100 runs in each of his first three big-league seasons. He's also been durable, playing over 150 games the past two years, including a career-high 159 in 2016.

The 2014 Rookie of the Year owns a career .299/.360/.515 line with 91 homers, 101 doubles, and 308 RBIs.