Boston Red Sox: Analyzing the Chris Sale trade three years later
By Max Bozicas
When the Boston Red Sox traded for Chris Sale, expectations for the team were very high. Looking back, we now have a better idea of who won the deal.
The Boston Red Sox were looking for a true ace prior to the 2017 season. Sure, they had just signed David Price to a ridiculously expensive contract in the previous offseason, but they were not content. The team went out and acquired Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Victor Diaz, and Luis Alexander Basabe.
This trade was worth it for the Red Sox regardless since it helped them win a World Series in 2018. That is the ultimate goal and Sale was a big reason for the achievement. With that said, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they won the trade.
Sure, in the short term it would appear they did with the aforementioned championship and the general irrelevance of the White Sox in recent years. However, the jury is still out on Chicago’s side of the trade. Three of the prospects involved in the deal are still under the age of 26 and have seen little if any, action in the majors.
One piece of the deal, Yoan Moncada, is already a known commodity. Moncada had a solid 2019 season, with a line of .315/.367/.548 with 25 home runs and 79 RBI. Still just 24 years old, the third baseman has already had his breakout season and can only improve from here. At this point, it’s fair to say that Moncada is a better asset than Sale given Sale’s injury issues and his drop off in performance last year.
Michael Kopech is a starting pitcher who can throw some serious heat. Kopech had Tommy John surgery towards the end of 2018, but he returned in spring training this year and pitched a scoreless inning, hitting over 100 MPH in the process. While Kopech has stated that he doesn’t want to be a power pitcher, the ability to reach 100 is no small feat. Kopech has good potential in the big leagues.
Victor Diaz is a relief pitcher who has a bit of a way to go to get to the majors. He hasn’t actually pitched since 2017 due to injuries, and prior to 2018 he wasn’t exactly lighting it up anyways. When he’s on the mound he can also reach 100 MPH but is more consistently around the upper 90s. This is a prospect that the Red Sox likely won’t be losing much sleep over.
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Finally, we have Luis Alexander Basabe. Alexander Basabe is a switch-hitting center fielder who is considered a raw prospect but with a high ceiling. Alexander Basabe has the physical tools to succeed but will need to work on some fundamental details in order to be a truly exciting player in the future.
So Boston won a World Series with some heavy lifting from Sale but they also gave away two prospects that can impact Chicago in the here and now, and two that can down the road. As Sale works through his thirties we’re sure to see more injuries pile up for The Condor. How he recovers from Tommy John will be a big indicator of who may have actually won out in this deal. His impact in the present has been massive, however, if he’s a shell of his former self after surgery then that impact may wane over time.
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As it stands currently, the Red Sox only gave away two affirmably valuable assets for Sale, but that is subject to change. If Kopech and Alexander Basabe reach their true potential, this trade might sting a bit in the future. However, Sale helped deliver a World Series championship so we will be hard-pressed to complain even if Boston did lose this trade in the long term.