Quite possible, but I think it should also be noted that this was a very, very reasonable extension. He was slated to make $27 mill for 2024, so the extension was one year for $11 mill, plus the Braves got a team option for a third year at $18 mill. He certainly didn't play hardball with them. (Yes, I know, injury-plagued beggars can't be choosers and all that.)Originally Posted by notin
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
Good points by both you and Notin--of course. I had no idea Sale's extension price was that small. So, if you're math is right, the Braves get 2 years of Sale for $22M--thanks to the Sox shelling out $17M this year--and can get a 3d year for $18M. I have pointed out (that's me patting myself on the back) that the Braves have yet to start Sale on 5 days rest, which is considered normal. Instead, 6 or 7 days rest. And that sure seems to be working.
So this was a good deal for Atlanta and, honestly, a pretty darn good one for Sale at age 35 with a checkered 2019-2023 in his resume. My guess is that no one--not Cora, not Breslow, not whatever "brain trust" still exists in Boston, and not JH himself--on the Sox thought Sale was being reasonable.
I have to add, however, that, thanks to the new pitching coach, the Sox rotation this year has been way, way better than expected.
Right now the Sox team ERA, 3.53, is 4th best in MLB and the best it's been since 2007, when it was 3.87, but ranked 2d in MLB. Indeed, if we buy moonslav's entirely credible thesis that, because the Sox defense is so awful this season--8 more errors than any other team--we can assume that some of the "earned runs" ain't really earned. So it's possible this is the best Sox pitching staff in, what, 50 years? The giant caveat there is this season is a long way from over.
So, while I admit the above is an exaggeration, letting Sale go--at least so far--has not been all that horrible.
Last edited by Maxbialystock; 07-06-2024 at 11:02 AM.
I still think that Atlanta’s minor league pitching depth positioned them much better to withstand another Sale injury. I not even Braves’ fan and I can go maybe 10 deep (maybe more?) naming their starter depth chart. With the team I follow, I stop counting at six…
That's fine, but I fail to see how removing Sale did anything for our depth.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
and here we are talking about trading for Crochet or Anderson. nice move Breslow.
I think they very likely questioned if Sale was a reliable part of their rotation depth chart, since he spent the majority of the past 4 years missing in action. Giolito had always been the much surer bet to go out and take the mound every 5 days…
Fails to address how a team lacking in starter depth gets better by subtracting. You just keep going round the mulberry bush to the injury history because it's all you have.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
Sale was not reliable. Prior to 2034, Giolito was.
They weren’t counting on Sale to start. They were counting on Giolito. Sale was a guy they had repeatedly crossed off the depth chart and started looking for a #6 before March ended.
I know teams like the Dodgers will give a chance and hope on an injury-prone pitcher. But the Dodgers, like the Braves, have a slew of MLB-ready minor leaguers who can and will step in when injuries become a problem. Boston does not…
I don't post often but I lurk a lot. Interesting to see the posts after reading years of posters complaining about Sale, the extension the Sox signed him to and all the rest. I don't recall anyone here promoting they keep and extend him regardless of the contract size.
I am not going to argue about Sale but Gioloto has been awful the past few years and now we are going to be paying him 38 million for 1 year if we can even get that out of him. Sox lost the Sale trade HORRIBLY but it was all about cutting payroll so Henry could care less
Of course no one was promoting that they extend him. The Sox had a club option for 2025 which meant they could wait the whole 2024 season before deciding whether to exercise it or not.
My main argument is that they had little to lose by keeping him. By not keeping him they gained $10 million and a second base prospect. In return for that they surrendered the chance of Sale bouncing back.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
The $17M the Red Sox are paying the Braves still bugs me, and I don’t care if Grissom was playing like a prospect instead of like a Suspect on, and off the field. The funny part outside of the Braves getting a free CY type performance from Sale this year is that so far he is the healthy one, and Gio, and Grissom are not. Just maybe a change of scenery is all it took for Sale. Like you’ve been saying the Red Sox didn’t have any pitching depth to begin with, and just Swapping Gio for Sale didn’t make it any better.
The Dodgers bet $136 million on Glasnow. That's a lot of chancin' and hopin'...
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
No, it didn't, and IMHO notin's argument about the Braves having more depth than us explains why it made sense for them, but doesn't explain why it made sense for us.
If we kept Sale and he got injured, obviously we'd have to put him on the IL and fill in for him. That's just normal everyday business in a world where pitchers are dropping all over the place. We lost Giolito and Whitlock for the year, and Bello and Pivetta have had IL stints.
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
Pretty good data-based article on why the Braves thought Sale was worth taking a chance on.
https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/c...veteran-lefty/
Championships since purchase by John Henry group: Red Sox 4 Yankees 1
The Red Sox are 8-1 in their last 9 postseason games against the Yankees.
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