Boston Red Sox Trade Rumors: Chris Sale Acquired From Chicago White Sox [Breaking]
Boston Red Sox trade rumors reveal that Chris Sale may have been acquired from the Chicago White Sox. It appears that highly touted prospect Yoan Moncada is part of a package of at least four players that will be going back to the White Sox. A report by NBC Sports confirms that the deal is taking place, netting the Red Sox an ace starting pitcher to add to the rotation.
Sale has pitched parts of seven Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox, posting a career record of 74-50. Sale has also posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.065 WHIP over 1,110 innings of work. That includes getting named to the American League All-Star team five times and finishing in the top six for the Cy Young Award five times as well.
Right-handed pitching prospect Michael Kopech is also included in the deal, giving the White Sox a really good pitcher for the future. Kopech has reached 105 mph in action and has been pitching in the minor leagues for the last three seasons. During that time he has posted a 2.61 ERA with 172 strikeouts in 134 2/3 innings.
Yoan Moncada has been a hot commodity in MLB trade rumors for a while now. Moncada made his debut in September for the Boston Red Sox, appearing in eight games down the stretch. During two Minor League seasons, Moncada had a 0.287 batting average over 854 plate appearances. He showed immediate promise after coming over from Cuba and is ready to join a 25-man roster already.
With the acquisition of Chris Sale, most of the current Boston Red Sox trade rumors are likely to come to an end. He is the type of pitcher who will make a huge difference for the franchise, but it is also important to point out that the team dealt some important assets that had come up in other trade discussions. Sale joins a starting rotation that already includes Cy Young winners Rick Porcello and David Price.
Sale has three years remaining on his contract, with the final two seasons being team options. He is slated to earn $12 million in the 2017 MLB season, followed by $12.5 million in 2018 and $13.5 million in 2019. The Red Sox have buyouts of $1 million for each season, but it is likely that the team will choose to accept the options once they come up. This is an extremely team-friendly deal that makes Sale seem like a bargain when comparing his salary to that of top starting pitchers around the league.
On the list of the top 100 prospects for the Boston Red Sox, Yoan Moncada was in the top slot, with Michael Kopech at No. 5. There are also rumored to be two more prospects heading to the Chicago White Sox in this deal, but their names have not yet been revealed. With third base already filled by Todd Frazier, it is very likely that Moncada will get penciled in as the starting second baseman for the White Sox. It also likely guarantees that the White Sox are going to deal one or two more veterans before the 2017 MLB offseason comes to a close.
A prior report by ESPN.com stated that the Chicago White Sox were talking about trading first baseman Jose Abreu to the Colorado Rockies. If the White Sox truly are re-tooling the franchise, it may have become more likely that Abreu gets dealt. Another way of looking at the situation is that Abreu came over from Cuba, much like Yoan Moncada, so he could be kept on the franchise to provide familiarity. Either way, a blockbuster trade has just been agreed to with the Boston Red Sox that will alter the futures of both franchises.
[Featured Image by Jon Durr/Getty Images]
