Chris Sale’s tenure on the South Side came to an end yesterday when he was traded to the Red Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe, and Victor Diaz, officially starting the rebuilding phase for the White Sox for the first time since the late 1980s.
Sale was the 13th overall selection by the White Sox in the 2010 draft. After 11 total games in the minor leagues, Sale made his major league debut on August 6, less than 2 months after being drafted, giving up a hit and a walk before getting pulled. Sale worked out of the bullpen for the remainder of the year, earning 4 saves in 21 appearances. Sale returned to the bullpen in 2011, picking up another 8 saves while posting a 2.79 ERA.
In 2012, Sale moved in to the starting rotation full time, where he racked up 5 straight All Star nods and finished between 3rd and 6th in Cy Young award voting each season. In 2015, Sale set the White Sox franchise record with 274 strike outs. Last year, he tied his career high with 17 victories and threw a career high 226 2/3 innings pitched in between spats with the front office over Drake LaRoche and 1970s throwback jerseys.
Moncada, ranked as the #1 prospect in all of baseball, is the centerpiece of the deal. A 21 year old switch hitter, he’s expected to start next season in the minor leagues but should take over second base by 2018. Kopech, a 20 year old power pitcher, has some baggage, including punching a teammate and a PED suspension, should find a spot in the White Sox rotation should he continue to progress as he has. Basabe and Diaz are further away, but do help bolster a White Sox system that is on the rise.
With the White Sox now officially moving towards a full-on rebuild, Sale may not be the last name out the door. Rumors have already started swirling around Jose Quintana, Todd Frazier, Jose Abreu, Adam Eaton, and David Robertson. Will Sale be the first domino of many to fall this offseason? Only time will tell.
Sale’s numbers in a White Sox uniform, both for games I attended and overall, were:
| Wins | Losses | ERA | Saves | IP | Hits | Runs | ER | Walks | Strike Outs | HR | HBP | Appearances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | 12 | 2.98 | 3 | 265.667 | 205 | 89 | 88 | 51 | 304 | 35 | 11 | 55 |
| 74 | 50 | 3.00 | 12 | 1110 | 922 | 398 | 370 | 260 | 1244 | 113 | 63 | 228 |
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