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Chris Sale To The Boston Red Sox

After all the speculation and rumors swirling around Chris Sale and the Chicago White Sox, a deal has finally been made.  It isn’t the one we have been hearing about the last few days with the Washington Nationals though.  The Boston Red Sox have acquired the services of the big left-hander in a blockbuster trade in exchange for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz.

The Red Sox were already in the conversation about having the strongest rotation in the American League.  Now with Sale in the fold they might boast the strongest rotation in all of baseball.  Sale will now join fellow lefty David Price and 2016 American League Cy Young Award Winner Rick Porcello as they try to bring another title to beantown.

Sale is entering his eighth year in the major leagues and has a record of 74-50.  The five-time All-Star has a career ERA of 3.00 and has amassed 1,244 strikeouts in 1,110 innings.  He matched his career high in wins in 2016 with 17, and surpassed 200 strikeouts for the fifth season in a row.  Sale will turn 28 prior to the start of the season and is scheduled to make $12 million this season.  The Red Sox hold two club options for 2018 and 2019 for $12.5 million and $13.5 million respectively which you can assume will be picked up.  There is also a $1 million buyout those years as well.

Heading to Chicago are a couple of Boston’s top flight prospects.  Yoan Moncada (#1 prospect according to mlb.com) was signed by the Red Sox for a record $31.5 million out of Cuba and has been tearing up the system since.  He did make his major league debut last season appearing in eight games.  Overall in his minor league career, Moncada has an average of .287 in 187 games.  He will turn 22 in the middle of the 2017 season and could be a mainstay in the White Sox middle infield for a long time.

Also making his way to the windy city is Boston’s #5 prospect Michael Kopech.  The flame-throwing righty was selected in the first round of the 2014 draft out of high school.  His last stop in 2016 was Class-A Advanced Salem pitching to the tune of 4-1 with an ERA of 2.25.  It was rumored that Kopech hit 105 on the radar gun.  The soon-to-be 21 year old is still a bit away, but the White Sox might be able to forget about Sale in the future if Kopech’s natural progression continues.

The two other prospects in the deal are outfielder Luis Alexander Basabe and pitcher Victor Diaz.  Basabe is listed as the Red Sox #8 prospect according to mlb.com and Diaz rests at #28.

Boston made a point on Tuesday that they are planning on winning it all in 2017.  Earlier in the day they made a deal with the Milwaukee Brewers acquiring relief pitcher Tyler Thornburg filling a need in the bullpen.  Thornburg has closer experience, but gives the Red Sox a quality 1-2 punch with Craig Kimbrel at the back end.

John has recently graduated from the University at Albany with a B.A. in History and is currently finishing his Master's Degree there as well in secondary education. After being away from school for over two decades he decided to go back and work towards his dream of becoming a social studies teacher.

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