Red Sox depth chart: Chris Sale is moving down and cannot be trusted
Three starts is more than enough to know Chris Sale isn’t the same pitcher he used to be. Blame it on the fan who said “all I want is for Sale to be healthy this year.” Well, he is but that isn’t nearly enough.
A 1-1 record, 11.25 ERA, and only 12 innings in 3 starts are some of the numbers from Sale’s season. He has already given up 5 home runs and he is walking batters at a horrendous rate.
Maybe most shocking from Sale’s season is how the Red Sox have actually won two of his starts and came two runs away from winning the third. In fact, that third outing was their chance to end the new deceased Tampa Bay Rays winning streak they began the year with.
The end of Sale’s career definitely feels like it’s nearing, but the first step for any ace is to become an overpriced fifth starter. Owed $27.5 million this year and next, this may be one of those bad contracts the Red Sox simply have to wait out. The only alternative would be to call up the Los Angeles Dodgers to take it. They’ve done it before. Can we interest them in another bad contract?
Out of respect for Sale, management may need to see things get even uglier before considering a move to the bullpen. He can consider himself lucky that he’s not the only pitcher struggling early on.