Chris Sale hasn’t spent much time on a major league mound in recent years, but that doesn’t seem to stop teams from inquiring about his availability in a trade with the Red Sox.
MLB Network’s Jon Heyman reports that the 33-year-old left-hander has sparked interest from several clubs.
Few pitchers can match Sale’s record, which includes seven All-Star Game nods, two strikeout titles (including a 300K season) and seven times in the top five in Cy Young Award voting. And of course, he closed out the 2018 World Series for Boston against the Dodgers.
But despite all that, Sale has thrown just 48.1 innings since injuring his pitching elbow in August 2019. He underwent Tommy John surgery in March of the following year and returned at the end of 2021, but rib ailments , a finger and a wrist (the latter injury from a bicycle accident) limited him to just two starts in 2022.
A clause allowing Sale to veto any trade could be a hurdle, but Boston would be willing to accept little for the veteran, who will earn $27.5 million in both 2023 and 2024. Those factors would make a Sale trade unlikely, though the interest on the part of some other teams is notable.
MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo says Nick Pivetta could be a bigger trade candidate for the Red Sox. The right-hander will turn 30 in February and will be under contract control through the end of 2024. Pivetta has been an average pitcher (ERA+ of 100) since Boston acquired him from the Phillies in August 2020.