Chris Sale To Red Sox Was Over A Year In The Making, White Sox GM Says

The Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox shocked everybody Tuesday with a blockbuster trade. But maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised.

The Red Sox sent four prospects to Chicago in exchange for left-handed ace Chris Sale in a move that should make Boston a serious World Series contender in 2017. In a press conference Tuesday, Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said trade talks for Sale started to heat up last Friday, when White Sox general manager Rick Hahn called to say the five-time All-Star was available.

In his own press conference Tuesday, however, Hahn said the seeds of the trade were planted long ago.

#RedSox and #WhiteSox have talked about Chris Sale for "over a year," Rick Hahn said. @MLB @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2016

Indeed, trade rumors surrounding Sale have swirled for quite some time, and the Red Sox consistently were reported to be in the mix. But after the Red Sox couldn’t swing a deal for Sale at Major League Baseball’s non-waiver trade deadline last summer, the chances of him coming to Boston seemed slim.

Dombrowski and Hahn finally found middle ground Tuesday, and the White Sox apparently are happy with their haul. Here’s Hahn’s initial statement on trading Sale, which includes healthy praise for the prospects Chicago acquired.

Rick Hahn will discuss the Chris Sale trade at a news conference around 4:30. But here's his initial statement: pic.twitter.com/1CDI8UrcFW

— Colleen Kane (@ChiTribKane) December 6, 2016

Yoan Moncada, MLB.com’s No. 1 prospect, is the cream of the crop for the White Sox. But it appears Chicago will be patient with the 21-year-old, in addition to moving him back to his natural position.

Yoan Moncada will begin tenure with #WhiteSox as second baseman, Rick Hahn says. He's likely to start 2017 in minors. @MLB @MLBNetwork

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) December 6, 2016