Hammer of the gods: White Sox' Jose Abreu making powerful impact

Jose Abreu has eight hits in his first 32 major league at-bats, including five for extra bases.

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However, most every team in the league would still have signed Cespedes and Puig to their current contracts if they knew then what they know now, and the odds appear good that the same will soon be true of Abreu. That his contract so exceeded theirs was a result of the fact that he was considered a safer option than they were, in part because of the precedent they had set by succeeding at the major league level. That Abreu's contract did not exceed those of Cespedes and Puig by even more already seems a mistake born of an exaggerated fear of a potential downside risk. It certainly looks as if the White Sox have added one of the best hitters in the world at less than half his market value, and the next Cuban to arrive -- perhaps Alfredo Despaigne, the 27-year-old who was permitted to play in the Mexican League last summer -- will not be available at anything close to that price.