Michel Abreu

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Michel Abreu

|image=NF-Michel-Abreu20130309.jpg

|image_size=250px

|position=First baseman

|number=

|birth_date={{birth date and age|1975|2|8}}

|birth_place=Matanzas, Matanzas Province, Cuba

|bats=Right

|throws=Right

|debutyear=2013

|debutdate=March 29

|debutteam=Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters

|teams=

Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters ({{npby|2013}}–{{npby|2014}})

|awards=

Mexican League batting champion (2012)
1× Pacific League Home Run Leader (2013)
1× Pacific League Best Nine Award (2013)

}}

Michel Abreu Martinez (born February 8, 1975) is a Cuban former professional baseball player. A first baseman, he previously played for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball. Abreu began his professional career in the Cuban National Series and then played in minor league baseball after he defected from Cuba.

Career

Abreu debuted with the Cuban national baseball team in 1999. That year, he was part of the Cuban team that played a two-game exhibition series against the Baltimore Orioles.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1999/03/29/sports/baseball-cuban-players-scorn-those-who-defected.html|title=BASEBALL; Cuban Players Scorn Those Who Defected|first=Murray|last=Chass|authorlink=Murray Chass|newspaper=The New York Times|date=March 29, 1999|accessdate=March 14, 2013}} Domestically, he played in the Cuban National Series for Matanzas. In 2002, he won the Triple Crown, as he led all Cuban players with a.356 batting average, 23 home runs, and 78 runs batted in.{{cite news |last=Edes |first=Gordon |author-link=Gordon Edes |date=September 13, 2005 |title=Hoping His Power Translates |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/895638281.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+13%2C+2005&author=GORDON+EDES&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=HOPING+HIS+POWER+TRANSLATES&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202002455/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/boston/access/895638281.html?FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+13%2C+2005&author=GORDON+EDES&pub=Boston+Globe&desc=HOPING+HIS+POWER+TRANSLATES&pqatl=google |archive-date=February 2, 2017 |newspaper=Boston Globe}} He was named the Series Most Valuable Player that season.{{cite news |last=Massarotti |first=Tony |author-link=Tony Massarotti |date=September 12, 2005 |title=BASEBALL; Sox sign Cuban slugger |url=https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/895066851.html?dids=895066851:895066851&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+12%2C+2005&author=TONY+MASSAROTTI&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=BASEBALL%3B+Sox+sign+Cuban+slugger&pqatl=google |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411155841/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/bostonherald/access/895066851.html?dids=895066851:895066851&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Sep+12,+2005&author=TONY+MASSAROTTI&pub=Boston+Herald&desc=BASEBALL;+Sox+sign+Cuban+slugger&pqatl=google |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |work=Boston Herald}}

Abreu defected from Cuba in February 2004. He attempted to establish residency in Mexico, but after struggling to obtain the necessary documents, he moved to Costa Rica and established residency there.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/09/08/sports/baseball/08cuban.html|title=Cuban Defector Finds Team, Ending an 18-Month Wait|first=Jack|last=Curry|authorlink=Jack Curry|newspaper=The New York Times|date=September 8, 2005|accessdate=March 14, 2013}} He signed a contract with the Boston Red Sox in September 2005, agreeing to a $425,000 signing bonus. However, the Red Sox began the process of voiding the contract later that month, mainly because Abreu could not establish residency but also because Abreu represented himself as 26 years old, though the roster from the 1999 Orioles-Cuba series gave his date of birth as February 8, 1975, which the Red Sox believed to be his correct date of birth.{{cite web|url=https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=2170109|title=Tris Jones named after Tris Speaker|work=ESPN.com|date=September 23, 2005|access-date=March 14, 2013}}

The New York Mets signed Abreu to a minor league contract in January 2006.{{cite news|last=Shpigel |first=Ben |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E0CEED7163EF937A35751C0A9609C8B63 |title=Sports Briefing – Baseball – Mets Sign A Player |newspaper=The New York Times |date=February 4, 2006 |accessdate=March 14, 2013}} Assigned to the Binghamton Mets of the Class AA Eastern League, Abreu was named to the league's all-star game{{cite news |last=Kernan |first=Kevin |date=July 13, 2006 |title=Cause & Defect: Cuban Tries To Make It 'Big' With Mets |url=https://nypost.com/2006/07/13/cause-defect-cuban-tries-to-make-it-big-with-mets/ |accessdate=2025-03-24 |newspaper=New York Post}} and led the league in batting average (.332) and on-base percentage (.404). Due to issues obtaining his green card after the expiration of his work visa, Abreu missed the entire 2007 season. He played for the New Orleans Zephyrs of the Class AAA International League in 2008.{{cite news|url=http://www.nola.com/zephyrs/t-p/?/base/sports-0/1207372843107880.xml&coll=1|title=Abreu just happy to be back in action: Zephyrs 1B missed all of 2007 waiting for his green card|date=April 5, 2008|first=Bob |last=Fortus|newspaper=The Times Picayune|accessdate=March 14, 2013}} The Mets invited Abreu to spring training in 2009.{{cite press release |url=http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090120&content_id=3751604&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym |title=Tom Martin and Casey Fossum among 10 non-roster invitees to Mets Major League Spring Training |work=MLB.com |date=January 20, 2009 |accessdate=March 14, 2013 |archive-date=January 25, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090125155647/http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/news/press_releases/press_release.jsp?ymd=20090120&content_id=3751604&vkey=pr_nym&fext=.jsp&c_id=nym |url-status=dead }}

Abreu played in the Mexican League for the Olmecas de Tabasco in 2010 and 2011{{cite web |url=http://www.terra.com.mx/articulo.aspx?articuloId=891638 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130413151430/http://www.terra.com.mx/articulo.aspx?articuloId=891638 |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 13, 2013 |title=Michel Abreu llega a los Olmecas de Tabasco – Beisbol Mexicano – Deportes |publisher=Terra |language=Spanish |date=January 29, 2010 |accessdate=March 14, 2013 }} and the Sultanes de Monterrey in 2012, winning the league MVP award during his season in Monterrey.{{cite news|url=https://www.espn.com.ve/noticias/nota?s=bei&id=1615525&type=story&platform=amp|title=Michel Abreu es JMV en Liga Mexicana|work=ESPN Deportes|date=20 September 2012|access-date=3 June 2021|language=es}}

He signed with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Nippon Professional Baseball for the 2013 season,{{cite web|url=http://www.provincia.com.mx/2013/02/firma-michel-abreu-con-equipo-japones/ |title=Firma Michel Abreu con equipo japonés | Diario Provincia – El Diario Grande de Michoacán |publisher=Provincia.com.mx |language=Spanish |date=February 20, 2013|accessdate=March 14, 2013}} during which he led NPB's Pacific League with 31 home runs. A back injury cost him all of the first half of the 2014 season. He was released on August 21.[http://www.fighters.co.jp/news/detail/4737.html　アブレイユ選手退団のお知らせ] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141216102248/http://www.fighters.co.jp/news/detail/4737.html |date=2014-12-16 }} Hokkaidou Nihon Ham Fighters official site