Report: White Sox Wanted Jackie Bradley Jr. From Red Sox In Chris Sale Talks

Apparently, the Boston Red Sox weren’t going to land Chris Sale without giving up Jackie Bradley Jr.

The Chicago White Sox reportedly were listening to offers for their left-handed ace before Major League Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline, and the Red Sox were rumored to be among the teams talking. And the latest reports from WSCR-AM in Chicago’s Bruce Levine and FanRag Sports’ Jon Heyman are that the White Sox really, really wanted Bradley.

Per Heyman:

“If they didn’t get Jackie Bradley, there was no way they were doing the deal,” one person familiar with their thinking said.

The White Sox reportedly wanted prospects in addition to Bradley, but those details so far have not been divulged.

Depending on what Chicago was asking for in prospects, it sounds as though it could have been a pretty even trade. Bradley is an above-average defensive outfielder with skills at the plate who’s under team control until 2020, and Sale is an elite left-handed starter who has one of the cheapest contracts in baseball for his skill level.

At the same time, it’s not surprising neither team wanted to pull the trigger for those exact reasons.

Thumbnail photo via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images