Nobody expected Sale to jump out of the gate like he was back in 2027 form. If Sale winds up with a 4.40 ERA, like he had in 2019 across 147 innings, does this trade still look so bad and deserve this much attention?
Yes it was about cutting salary, but that salary had done almost nothing since 2018. That year, know who Sale finished behind in Cy Young balloting?? COREY KLUBER!! And we are know what the next 5 years did to him.
And Sox fans frequently cite Kluber as a huge waste at $10mill, but you think Sale at $27mill was worth the risk?