Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale wants to retire in Boston

Chris Sale has no intentions of leaving the Boston Red Sox

On Friday morning, Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale appeared on the Greg Hill Show on WEEI and chatted about his extensive recovery from Tommy John surgery on his left elbow.

Sale has been in Boston since former general manager Dave Dombrowski acquired him from the Chicago White Sox in 2017. In his first two campaigns, he lived up to the hype of being the ace the club had been searching for. Sale posted a 17-8 record in 2017 along with a 2.90 ERA and a 12-4 record in 2018 with a 2.11 ERA while serving as a valuable piece in the Red Sox championship run.

Since then he has dealt with elbow concerns which was a big reason for his struggles in 2019 where he produced a record of 6-11 and a career-worst 4.40 ERA. He then missed all of last season after electing to get Tommy John surgery. It was only a matter of when Sale would get the surgery as he frequently experienced elbow tightness throughout his career, likely because of his sidearm delivery.

Sale was asked about his future with the team as he is under contract until 2025 but has an opt-out option in 2022 to become a free agent. The prized ace has zero intentions of leaving and would like to remain in Boston for the rest of his career. He had strong words regarding the Red Sox organization when asking if he would want to retire in Boston.

“One hundred percent. I have nowhere else to go. I have nowhere else to be,” said Sale. “This place is top-notch. They’re unbelievable. I like it here. I love it here. I feel comfortable here. They take care of me. They take care of my family. And we win. Check the books, man. Check the books. We win. That’s what we’re here to do and that’s what we do a lot of. I would like to get back to that.”

This is a breath of fresh air for the Red Sox even with him being out of action for almost two years. When healthy he still one of the more electric pitchers in the game and expects to return at some point this upcoming year. At 31-years-old the southpaw should come back stronger than ever suggesting he has about 3-5 more dominant years left in him.

At the end of the day, this shows that Sale is a different breed, separating himself from the rest. Boston is arguably one of the toughest markets to play in and that is always a worry when a player signs or is traded here. We all know what happened with past players like Pablo Sandoval and David Price. Some just cannot handle the added pressure. Sale, of course, can. He is a passionate pitcher and will do anything in his power to win games.

Since being with the Red Sox, Sale had one goal and that was to win and he made that well known from his countless interviews with the media. That is exactly what you need from the ace of your pitching staff. He has one ring on his finger but he is not finished and is hoping to win more in Boston.