MIAMI — Chicago White Sox star Jose Abreu testified Thursday that he had an extremely close relationship with a Florida baseball trainer on trial along with a sports agent for allegedly smuggling Cuban ballplayers off the island.
Abreu acknowledged giving trainer Julio Estrada $25,000 a month last summer after Estrada's assets were frozen by the government following his indictment in the smuggling case — $10,000 more than Estrada had requested. He did so, Abreu testified, "because of the high esteem I have for him."
Abreu also paid Estrada's wife an undisclosed amount to help decorate the player's South Florida home, even though she has no professional experience doing that work.