Just because the Boston Red Sox are reigning World Series champions doesn’t mean Chris Sale is satisfied.
As fun as Boston’s 2018 season was, the left-handed pitcher is hungry for more. Sale will be entering his third season with the Red Sox and is very much looking forward to receiving his first World Series ring in April and defending the title.
“I just got goose bumps thinking about it,” Sale said of getting his ring in April, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “I still have a burning desire to win. It never stops. It’s an unbelievably horrible characteristic to have, but I’m not satisfied.”
Sale certainly has reason to want more. The hard-throwing lefty’s regular season was cut short due to two separate disabled list stints from shoulder inflammation. He did, however, have a successful playoff run and ended Game 5 of the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers by striking out Manny Machado.
The 29-year-old quickly became a fan-favorite in Boston and hopes to remain with the franchise after his contract is up following the 2019 season. However, Sale also understands baseball ultimately is a business.
“We have a couple different scenarios,” Sale said. “If it works, awesome. If not, I’m still doing the same things. I’ve got a job to do, and that’s all I’m focused on.
“I’m doing what I love to do. I can’t really complain past, present, or future.”
Sale was in the Cy Young conversation up until his trips to the DL and due to his “burning desire to win,” it won’t be surprising if he enters that conversation again in the upcoming season.