Chris Sale has been traded to the Atlanta Braves, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN.com. The Red Sox are receiving Vaughn Grissom in return.
For the trade to go through, the Red Sox sent $17 million to the Braves as financial relief. The Braves will pay the remaining $10.5 million to Sale for 2024 and then hold a $20 million club option on Sale for 2025. In return, the Red Sox will receive Grissom who holds six years of team control.
Sep 22, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) pitches against the Chicago White Sox during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Sale, who will turn 35 at the start of the 2024 season, has dealt with injuries since 2020. He missed the entire 2020 season with Tommy John, made 11 combined starts from 2021-2022 after dealing with multiple injuries, and then made 20 starts in 2023 after sustaining a shoulder and scapula injury.
Still, when healthy, Sale is one of the most dominant starting pitchers in the game. From 2012-2019, Sale recorded a 3.05 ERA, 138 ERA+, and struck out 1896 batters in 1535 1/3 innings. The lefty also made seven All-Star appearances and received MVP votes in that time.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox received Grissom, who was the Braves No. 7 prospect in 2022. Grissom shined in a short sample size in 2022 with the Braves and was in the race for the starting job before the 2023 season. However, he struggled for the Braves to start the 2023 season and was sent down to the minors for the majority of 2023.
