Chris Sale doubles down on Boston Red Sox Chairman's comments: "He gave me an a**-ton of money to go do a job that I just simply have not done"
The Boston Red Sox haven't gotten the usage they thought they would get out of Chris Sale. He's been plagued by injuries since the team traded for him in 2016. Since 2020, Sale has only appeared in 11 games.
He's endured everything from Tommy John surgery (2020) to breaking his wrist in a weird biking accident (2022). Now healthy, Sale is finally ready to get it going again.
Boston Red Sox Chairman Tom Werner hasn't been happy with the productivity of Sale in recent years. He expects a big year from the lefty in 2023, and that has Sale fired up. Sale said:
"He's a business guy. And he's not where he's at because he didn't do things the right way. He's calling a spade a spade. He gave me an a**-ton of money to go do a job that I just simply have not done."
Sale on Werner: "He’s a business guy. And he’s not where he’s at because he didn’t do things the right way. He's calling a spade a spade. He gave me an ass-ton of money to go do a job that I just simply have not done." twitter.com/ChrisCotillo/s…
When healthy, Sale is one of the toughest pitchers for opposing batters. He drops his arm down for a unique delivery that allows his fastball to rise up on hitters. He also possesses a devastating slider that keeps hitters on their toes, followed by a changeup and sinker.
Chris Sale strikes out 11 against the Yankees over 7 innings allowing just 1 hit. Pure dominance.
June 30th, 2018. https://t.co/hY8nDYknj6
With all that has happened over the offseason, this team needs Sale to stay healthy. They need a bright spot in their lineup because this fanbase has been through enough lately.
It's been a tough offseason for the Boston Red Sox
It's been an offseason to forget for the Boston Red Sox. They lost All-Star shortstop Xander Bogaerts to free agency. Bogaerts signed an 11-year, $280 million contract with the San Diego Padres.
Shortly after that, the team learned that Trevor Story meeded elbow surgery on his throwing arm. Story was set to replace Bogaerts at shortstop. They will now have to rely on Kike Hernandez, who has some experience at the position but not a lot.
There's no timetable set for Story's return. Many around the league don't expect him to be back at all for the 2023 season.
Not everything was bad for the team, though. They were able to extend Rafael Dever's contract. The two sides agreed to an 11-year, $331 million deal. The team also signed Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year contract. Fans will be able to a get a glimpse of Yoshida's game at the World Baseball Classic. He'll be roaming the outfield for Samurai Japan.