Why Wilyer Abreu’s MLB debut for Red Sox will be ‘ironic’ for two reasons

HOUSTON — Wilyer Abreu traveled with his Triple-A Worcester teammates to Rochester on Monday. About 40 minutes after the bus arrived, WooSox manager Chad Tracy told the 24-year-old outfielder he wasn’t staying in upstate New York. Abreu instead was headed on a flight to join the big league club in Houston.

Abreu is not in the Red Sox lineup Tuesday against future Hall of Famer Justin Verlander. But manager Alex Cora said “there’s a good chance” Abreu will start Wednesday when Boston faces Astros righty José Urquidy.

The Red Sox acquired Abreu with Enmanuel Valdez from the Astros for Christian Vázquez. The trade went down a little more than one year ago when Boston was playing here in Houston.

“Ironic enough, he’s here,” Cora said before Boston’s game at Minute Maid Park on Tuesday. “What a difference a year makes, right?”

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His MLB debut will have even more irony. It will come with the team he initially planned to sign with as an amateur, against the club he ultimately signed with. Abreu signed as an 18-year-old with the Astros for $300,000 on July 2, 2017. But he was expecting to sign with Boston just after turning 17 in 2016. The Red Sox, however, received a ban from signing any amateur international prospects during the 2016-17 period after MLB determined the organization broke signing bonus rules the previous international signing period.

“This organization (Boston) wanted to give me my first shot as a professional baseball player,” Abreu said through interpreter Carlos Villoria Benítez here Tuesday. “And unfortunately it didn’t happen. Like I said before, I’m really happy to be able to make my debut in the big leagues here (with Boston).”

Abreu, an outfielder, went 25-for-59 (.424 batting average) with a .528 on-base percentage, .949 slugging percentage, 1.477 OPS, nine homers, four doubles, 25 RBIs, 18 runs, 12 walks, 10 strikeouts and three steals in 17 games for the WooSox in August.

“I think the biggest adjustment has been just to keep swinging at strikes, not swinging at balls,” he said. “That’s what has made me so successful this year so far. My adjustment has been mainly mentally, trying not to swing at bad pitches. To control the strike zone. And that’s something I’ve been able to do pretty well.”

Cora added, “He’s a guy that’s going to control the strike zone, he’s going to put good at-bats. Defensively, he’s solid. When he plays, he’s going to play center. Obviously he can play right field. We know that. He has a good arm. We’re happy for him.”