BREAKING: Red Sox Acquire Chris Sale in Blockbuster Deal
Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports
According to multiple reports, the Boston Red Sox have made the first big splash at the Winter Meetings today. They have acquired ace pitcher Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for highly touted prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech. Fox Sports Ken Rosenthal also says the deal will include 2 other prospects.
The 21-year-old Moncada is a consensus top-five prospect in the game and was rated No. 1 by Baseball America last July and No. 1 more recently by MLB.com. A native of Cuba, Moncada signed a $31.5 million deal with the Red Sox in February 2015. He hit .294 with 15 homers, 62 RBIs, 45 stolen bases and a .918 OPS in 106 games across two levels in the minor leagues in 2016. He had a brief call-up with the Red Sox, going 4-of-19 in eight games.
The 20-year-old Kopech touches 100+ on the radar gun. He had a 2.08 ERA, 1.10 WHIP and 13.7 strikeout/nine innings rate in 52 innings in 2016. He ended the season at high-Class A. The Red Sox drafted Kopech in the first round of the 2014 amateur draft.
Kopech has had a little controversy in his short career. He was suspended for 50 games in July 2015 after testing positive for Oxilofrine, a stimulant that’s banned. He denied knowingly taking the illegal substance.
Did the Red Sox give up too much in this deal? Probably. But this gives the Red Sox 3 legitimate aces in their rotation. Sale will join David Price, and reigning Cy Young winner Rick Porcello in the Boston rotation. This to go along with the highest scoring offense in the American League. This is the how championships are made.
