Chris Sale Reflects On Red Sox Tenure Following Braves Trade

Chris Sale had an incredible season when he first arrived with the Red Sox, but the seven-time All-Star on Thursday admitted the end of his tenure wasn’t up to his standards.

Boston last Saturday traded Sale and cash considerations to the Atlanta Braves for prospect Vaughn Grissom, who chief baseball officer Craig Breslow confirmed is expected to be the team’s everyday second baseman.

The trade ended Sale’s six-year run with the Red Sox. The southpaw entered Boston in 2017 and finished second in Cy Young Award voting after leading Major League Baseball in innings pitched (214 1/3), strikeouts (308) and FIP (2.45). Sale followed up that season with a highlight postseason run capped off with a strikeout on Manny Machado to seal the 2018 World Series for the Red Sox.

However, Sale’s final years in Boston were clouded by injuries, but it was an unforgettable time for the 34-year-old.

“Ups and downs, man. Life,” Sale said Thursday in a conference call with reporters, per The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier. “Best days of my life were there. Worst days of my life were there. … All those guys had my back. … They made a big commitment to me. I didn’t hold up my end of the bargain. … But they were always there for me.”

Sale also admitted “It was nothing short of a disaster the last few years” in Boston, but he remained committed to Boston and the Red Sox organization. He signed a new two-year contract when he was introduced by the Braves on Thursday.