Red Sox ‘go for it’ with trade for lefty ace Sale

Chris Sale said he isn’t anxious that he might not be the ace of the Boston pitching staff after being added to a Red Sox rotation that already includes David Price and reigning AL Cy Young victor Rick Porcello.

“The ability to get a Chris Sale doesn’t come along very often”, Boston president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said.

But there was Farrell on Tuesday, on the podium of a ballroom at the Gaylord National Convention Center, nearly gloating at the big news of the day from the baseball winter meetings. But I can’t say we’re aggressively looking to do something.

“We have traded a lot and wouldn’t mind replenishing some that we’ve traded”, Dombrowksi said. “Certainly we look to speed up that process at all times, but it’s not something that one move is going to wipe away all our needs”.

“At the same time, we have to be realistic about where we are and the likelihood of, with this current group, getting to where we want to be”. Sale also struck out the fewest percentage of batters (25.7 percent) since 2013, signaling perhaps the White Sox sold high on Price while they could. Depending on whether free agent compensation rates in the new collective bargaining agreement are determined by the team’s payroll in the preceding year or ensuing year (a distinction that I don’t believe has been made clear yet), it could even free them up to make moves in the 2017-2018 offseason without sacrificing significant draft picks or global bonus money.

It’s fair to note that Sale told reporters Price was the first new teammate of his to reach out and welcome him to the ballclub. He will simply be trading in his White Sox for Red ones. Sale was not as dominant in 2016 as he was in the year prior, but a change in his pitch usage accounted for his highest win total as a major leaguer.

Meanwhile, Kopech opened the eyes of prospect-watchers by hitting a reported 105 miles per hour on the radar gun this year. The White Sox defeated the Royals 7-4.

After Sale’s trade Tuesday from Chicago to the Boston Red Sox for a four-prospect package, the ripple effects will be felt far beyond this week’s winter meetings.

ESPN’s Baseball Tonight team breaks down the teams that are potential destinations for Chris Sale and who the White Sox can hope to get in return for Sale.

He said the trade was “bittersweet” because of ties and relationships established since he was drafted.

“These are the type of impact players that we need to continue to acquire and build up to get our system to the point where we are able to have that extended run of success”, White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said.

The Red Sox will have an impressive rotation next season, at least on paper. Also, those who read too much into things will note that “keep bothering him” can be parsed to suggest that Dombrowski has previously bothered him on at least one occasion. “But, again, you’ve got to give to get”.

“We have had a lot of phone calls on our pitchers today and different ones”, Dombrowski said. This is the how championships are made.

“We don’t have to make a deal”, he added.