Boston Red Sox rumors: The cons of exploring a Chris Sale trade
With the way the off-season has gone, you’d think the Boston Red Sox are just trying to tank and secure a better draft pick for the 2024 MLB draft.
But at this stage, they’re trying to make some trades to hold themselves competitive to the rest of the American League East. One name that came up on Christmas morning was left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale.
The big thing to keep in mind here is that Sale has a full no trade clause in his contract. So that means that if he doesn’t want to go to a team in a trade, he has the full right to void it.
Chris Sale has minimal trade value right now for the Boston Red Sox
If the Red Sox wanted to trade Sale four or five years ago, then they would probably have gotten an absurd amount of prospects. Now? You’d be lucky to get a top 100 prospect.
Make no mistake about it, when Sale is healthy; he can be one of the most dominant pitchers in the MLB. But he hasn’t been able to stay healthy.
Look at his last three seasons of work as a perfect example.
The tall lefty doesn’t pitch at all in the COVID-shortened 2020 season because he had Tommy John surgery. Fine, that’s acceptable.
He comes back for a few months in 2021 and gives you a decent performance out of the bullpen in the ALCS run. Again, fine.
He then gets hurt before 2022 starts. Rehabs to get back like crazy to return in July. Then, he throws five shoutout innings in Tampa Bay, before getting a line drive off his finger in the Bronx. That ended his 2022 season.
If that all wasn’t bad enough, the icing on top of the cake was when he fell off his bike in the off-season.
Get the point by now? Sale’s durability and availability make him an issue for teams to want to trade for him. Frankly, I don’t blame the Red Sox in that regard.
Chris Sale gives the Boston Red Sox starting pitching experience
The Boston Red Sox do not have an experience starting rotation right now. Nathan Eovaldi and Michael Wacha look like they’re not going to be back for the 2023 season. Brayan Bello needs a full season under him. James Paxton is coming off injury and Nick Pivetta was up and down in all of 2022.
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If there’s one thing to say about Sale, it’s the fact that he has plenty of starting experience. That’s crucial right now for a team with their rotation in question. If you got rid of Sale via trade, you better get a starter in return for him.
The bottom line with Chris Sale and the Boston Red Sox
If the Red Sox are smart, they wait on a Sale trade. If you really want to trade him, wait for the trade deadline and see if you can get him to actually be healthy and produce.
dark. Next. Sox organizational plan continues to be a complete mystery
You need Chris Sale for at least the first part of 2023. Get him healthy and ready to roll. with so many unknowns at this point, having a known guy in the rotation and clubhouse is never something to complain about.