*Photo from Over the Monster*
Here's a trade no one saw coming. The Atlanta Braves have acquired LHP Chris Sale and cash considerations from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for INF Vaughn Grissom, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. Both teams have confirmed the trade.
Sale is under contract for $27.5 million in 2024 and there's a $20 million team option in 2025. The Red Sox are sending $17 million to the Braves to cover part of Sale's salary. The lefty also agreed to waive his no trade clause to complete the deal. He'll likely slot in at the back end of the Braves rotation in 2024.
Last season, Sale had the most starts in a season since he made 25 in 2019. He posted a 4.30 ERA, 3.80 FIP, and 1.130 WHIP, averaging 11 strikeouts per 9 innings in 102 2/3 innings and 20 starts for the Red Sox, who finished in the basement of the AL East.
The constant struggle Sale has faced in a Red Sox uniform has been health. Following a 27 start season and a World Series title in 2018, he made 25 starts in 2019 before being shut down due to injury. He missed all of 2020 and all but 9 starts in 2021 due to Tommy John Surgery, then dealt with a stress fracture in his rib in 2022. He returned and in his second start, was struck in the thumb by a comebacker that ended his season. In 2023, he dealt with shoulder inflammation in his left arm.
Despite injury struggles, the pedigree is still there with Sale. From 2012 to 2018, he appeared in all 7 All Star Games in that period and finished in the top 6 in AL Cy Young voting in each season. He was also on the mound to close out the Red Sox title in 2018 against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Going back to the Red Sox is Grissom, who was ranked as the 7th best prospect in the Braves system according to MLB Pipeline. He was mostly buried in a crowded Braves infield picture, playing only 23 games in the majors last season while spending most of the year with Triple A Gwinnett. He had a .330/.419/.501 slash line with 8 home runs for Gwinnett last season.
Across 2022 and 2023, Grissom has played in 64 games in the majors. He has posted a .287/.339/.407 slash line with a 105 OPS+ and 88 total bases, hitting 5 home runs and 9 doubles to go with 27 RBI's and 5 stolen bases. He has gone hitless in 3 games and 4 plate appearances in the playoffs.
With the Braves, Sale joins the back end of the Braves rotation that has Spencer Strider, Charlie Morton, Max Fried, and Bryce Elder in the rotation, with Dylan Dodd, AJ Smith-Shawver, Allan Winans, Huascar Ynoa, Darius Vines, and Ian Anderson also in the mix as depth.
In Boston, Grissom is expected to be the team's everyday second baseman alongside Trevor Story at shortstop. Enmanuel Valdez and Pablo Reyes are also in the mix for a backup role, with Reyes able to play both shortstop and 3rd base.
Comments
Post a Comment