Chris Sale is entering his seventh spring training, but it’s fair to assume this is the first time he has entered camp with this much fanfare.
The left-handed ace switched Sox in the offseason as the centerpiece in the MLB hot stove season’s biggest blockbuster, with the Chicago White Sox dealing the lanky southpaw to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for a bounty of prospects.
Sale is as competitive as they come, so he undoubtedly puts a lot of pressure on himself. But he’ll also deal with plenty of outside pressure and attention after going from a struggling White Sox team to a Red Sox team that won the American League East last season. The acquisition of Sale brought with it a lot of justified excitement, which means every “first” for Sale in a Boston uniform is a big deal.
That includes his first appearance at spring training in Fort Myers with the Red Sox. Pitchers and catchers reported Monday, and while their first full workout isn’t until Tuesday, Sale and his teammates did some throwing Monday.
Red Sox fans will still have to wait a while before they see Sale in game action. Boston doesn’t open its spring slate until Feb. 23 against Northeastern, with Grapefruit League play beginning Feb. 24 against the New York Mets.
Thumbnail photo via Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY Sports Images
