Sale hadn’t pitched a full season since 2019 and hadn’t been Elite Chris Sale since 2017. If the Sox were counting on Chris Sale to return to elite form at age 35 after a prolonged stretch of not pitching that included not only TJ, but also a broken rib from throwing a pitch, what would you have honestly thought of that plan?
In 2017, Sale lost out on the Cy Young to Corey Kluber, who then declined and retired including going down in flames in Boston, all between Sale’s last elite season and his resurgence in Atlanta.
It didn’t work out, but I still don’t fault Breslow there. I don’t think people get how improbable that comeback really was….