The Atlanta Braves added to their rotation Saturday by acquiring left-hander Chris Sale in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, the two sides announced.
Welcome to Atlanta, Chris! pic.twitter.com/w72r66CuXe
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) December 30, 2023
The Red Sox received infielder Vaughn Grissom and sent cash considerations to Atlanta as part of the deal.
Sale is coming off his best season since 2019 and recorded a 4.30 ERA with 125 strikeouts in 102 2/3 innings. The 34-year-old lefty missed the 2020 season and most of the 2021 season due to Tommy John surgery. Then, a rib injury in 2022 kept him out until July, only for him to break his left pinkie in his second start of the year. The injury ended his season early.
Sale heads to the Braves after spending six seasons with the Red Sox and winning the 2018 World Series with Boston. Prior to his time with the Red Sox, he played seven seasons with the Chicago White Sox, who drafted him with the 13th pick in 2010.
The southpaw had seven consecutive All-Star selections from 2012 to 2018 and finished second in the American League Cy Young voting in 2017. Sale posted a 2.90 ERA that year and led the majors in strikeouts (308) and innings pitched (214 1/3).
What does Sale have left?
That’s the big question, right? He was pretty good last year. After a rocky first few outings, Sale had a 3.16 ERA in his last 15 starts, but also went more than five innings only once after May 20. His velocity was down a bit, but still in the low 90s.
He just lacked some of the consistency that made him a dominant ace for seven years before injuries took their toll in a big way.
He’s owed $27.5 million this season, but the Red Sox will pay $17 million of that, a source briefed on the terms of the trade said. He also has a $20 million option for 2025, which becomes guaranteed if Sale finishes top 10 in Cy Young voting and does not finish the season on the injured list. — Chad Jennings, Red Sox staff writer
How does Grissom fit with Boston?
While rotation was the Red Sox’s obvious offseason priority, second base was their position of most uncertainty. In the short term, Grissom moves immediately to the top of that particular depth chart and is expected to be the primary second baseman heading into the season.
Barring further moves, Boston should also have Enmanuel Valdez, Pablo Reyes and David Hamilton in the mix, but Grissom is the presumptive starter. A person familiar with the Red Sox’s evaluation said the team sees Grissom as an everyday player going forward. He does not have a full year of major-league service time, so he comes with six years of team control, keeping him in the picture — in one role or another — for the foreseeable future. — Jennings
What do the Red Sox have left to do?
After signing Lucas Giolito on Friday night, and now trading Sale, the Red Sox remain engaged in the starting pitcher market, according to a source familiar with the team’s offseason plans. For the time being, Giolito and Brayan Bello form a high-upside pair at the top of the rotation, while Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock, Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Josh Winckowski are in-house options to round out the group, but Boston will continue to look for ways to add to the rotation.
They are essentially giving up the risk-reward of Sale’s final guarantee year in favor of the long-term impact of Grissom, but the trade is not an indication that the Red Sox are satisfied with the state of their rotation. They still need more. — Jennings
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(Photo: Jay Biggerstaff / USA Today)