Yoan Moncada was 15 when he first met Jose Abreu in Cuba, and the White Sox second baseman recalled being in awe at the time.
"I was impressed because he was the superstar of our town," Moncada said through a Sox interpreter. "At that moment in Cuba, he was the best player in the country."
Since that day, the players' career paths have continued to intertwine.
When Moncada was 17, he played with Abreu on Cienfuegos in Cuba's Serie Nacional. When he was 21, he joined the Sox and fourth-year first baseman Abreu via a trade with the Red Sox. And Wednesday, at 22, he made his Sox debut alongside Abreu at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Before the game, Abreu, 30, spoke of Moncada like a little brother, calling him "the kid" after he went to pick him up at the airport upon his arrival in Chicago. He planned to go with him to the batting cage before the game to check out his routine and lend advice where he could.
Abreu relied on the help of fellow Cubans Alexei Ramirez and Adrian Nieto when he first arrived to the United States and signed with the Sox before the 2014 season.
Moncada has been in the country longer than Abreu was at that time and even took English classes last year with the Red Sox so, while much younger, he is more acclimated than Abreu was. But Abreu still wants to provide guidance where he can.
"(Ramirez and Nieto) helped me a lot to get to know this new process and to enter that first season," Abreu said through an interpreter. "I appreciated that. That's why, now, I want to give him as much as I know and as much help as I can give to him. It's an honor to be playing with someone who is from my same country, from my same town. That's why I take a lot of pride in helping him to get better."
Abreu called Tuesday a "bittersweet" day, when the players said goodbye to third baseman Todd Frazier, closer David Robertson and reliever Tommy Kahnle after the Sox traded them to the Yankees. He said it was hard to part with people he cared about, but he was also excited that the open roster spot meant Moncada finally would receive his call.
The Sox have traded six of their best players since December to stockpile prospects, and there could be more moves to come. But there are reasons for Abreu to stay.
He is having another solid season, hitting .291 with 25 doubles, 16 homers and 59 RBIs. He is noticeably upbeat after being able to spend more time with his son and leaving behind a tough year off the field in 2016, when his former trainer and friend was arrested and eventually convicted on charges related to smuggling Cuban baseball players. And he provides a prime leadership example for players such as Moncada, something Abreu didn't seem keen to break up.
"He's just an outstanding player," Abreu said. "He has all the tools to be an All-Star. For my time with the team, I don't know. I would like to spend my whole career with this team and to play with him my whole career now, but I also understand that this is a business and there are decisions you cannot control."
