Why Chris Sale Will ‘Always Respect’ Red Sox After Braves Trade

Chris Sale had a complicated career during six seasons with the Boston Red Sox.

After beginning his tenure with 308 strikeouts in 2017 and a World Series title in 2018, Sale battled injuries and did not pitch in a full season after the championship campaign.

The rollercoaster ultimately led him to Atlanta when the Red Sox traded Sale to the Braves for Vaughn Grissom this offseason. With time to reflect on his Boston tenure, Sale has made peace with his past.

While appearing on the “Baseball Isn’t Boring” podcast, Sale opened up about his current perspective of his time with the Red Sox.

“Listen, I have said this to everybody and I will say it to the day I die: The best days of my life were wearing the Red Sox uniform,” Sale shared with WEEI’s Rob Bradford. “The worst days of my life were also in that uniform. But everybody in that organization, front office, staff, players, coaches, anybody – they treated me the same when I was at the top and I was below the bottom. I will always respect that, always have love for that and I will always appreciate that. So I have nothing to say bad about anybody there.”

While excited for the new opportunity to join a loaded Braves roster that will surely compete for a World Series championship, the prospect of his future does not making leaving his past with the Red Sox behind any easier for Sale.

“It was tough, man. I had some very, very, very (expletive) rough conversations just calling to say goodbye because they were there for me,” Sale explained. “You build relationships. (Expletive) phenomenal people. That was tough. But on the flip-side of that, you flip the coin and you look at this opportunity, coming into a young team full of excitement and freakishly talented. Look around this place, it’s unbelievable. I have been traded twice and both times I definitely appreciated being traded in the offseason. That definitely makes a little bit easier transition. I was able to meet some of the guys. It was easy as it possibly could be.”

Sale looks to earn a second career championship with Atlanta in 2024 while the Red Sox call upon several starters to step up in the absence of the former ace.