Chicago White Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito discusses the impact first baseman Jose Abreu's departure will have on the team

The Chicago White Sox lost longtime team leader and first baseman Jose Abreu to the Houston Astros early in the free agent period this winter. The nine-year veteran came to represent the White Sox identity in the city of Chicago and around all of Major League Baseball.

However, when the defending World Series champions offered Abreu a three-year contract, he couldn't turn it down.

In an interview on the Chris Rose Sports podcast Wednesday, White Sox starting pitcher Lucas Giolito discussed the impact the loss of Abreu will have on the team going into 2023 and forward.

"That was a sad day for White Sox players, staff, fans," Giolito said of Abreu agreeing to join the Astros on Nov. 29. "A lot of us just always thought that Pito's going to wear a White Sox uniform until he retires."

Jose Abreu came to the Chicago White Sox in a $68 million deal to bring him to MLB from Cuba before the 2014 season.

Twenty-seven years old at the time, Abreu proved to be a powerful acquisition. He won the American League Rookie of the Year award and finished fourth in the AL Most Valuable Player vote after hitting 36 home runs and totaling 107 RBIs with a .317 batting average. He led the majors with a .581 slugging percentage and 173 OPS+ that year in earning the AL Silver Slugger Award at first base.

For all the powerful statistics Abreu brought to the South Side of Chicago over his nine years with the White Sox, Giolito says he will miss the hulking Cuban's presence the most.

"He's a leader, not necessarily vocally," Giolito said. "The way he went about everything he did. He had such care and attention to his work."

Who replaces Jose Abreu in Chicago White Sox lineup?

Jose Abreu of the Chicago White Sox celebrates scoring.

Jose Abreu hit 243 home runs and piled up 863 RBIs with the Chicago White Sox from 2014-2022. He won the AL MVP Award in the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign with a .617 slugging percentage.

Mighty big shoes to fill. Abreu, of course, had big shoes to fill when he took over at first base for beloved White Sox player Paul Konerko, who retired after the 2014 season.

Chicago fans have shown particular love towards their first basemen throughout this century, so who's next?

According to Fangraphs, Abreu's likely successor – at least initially – is 24-year-old Andrew Vaughn. Vaughn hit .271 with 17 homers and 76 RBIs over 134 games last season, his second big league campaign.