The Chris Sale Effect

The Chris Sale Effect. 

It starts as jubilation that the Red Sox obtained one of the best pitchers in the American League.  The pitcher who has finished in the top 6 in Cy Young voting every year since 2012.  The jubilation that the Red Sox now have three stoppers who can compete with the likes of the Cleveland Indians and the Texas Rangers.  That was my initial reaction when I found out about the trade.  "We're going to the World Series in 207!" I thought to myself.

The Chris Sale Effect.

Chris Sale is BONKERS!

That overjoy was then overtaken by a general "meh"  He was barely the best pitcher on an underachieving Chicago White Sox Team in 2016.  Jose Quintana had a lower ERA and their WHIPs and SOs we virtually the same last year.  While he pitched the most innings he had ever pitched in one season, he still only managed to lead the league in complete games and batters hit by pitch.  Further, he has never pitched in a big game in his life, much less Game 7 of a playoff series.  And I've never been high on lefthanders.  Putting Jon Lester aside, righthanders are the pitchers who have the most success at Fenway Park.  Pedro, Clemens, Schilling, Porcello, Beckett and Lowe all had one thing in common.  Except for Lester, I can't think of any southpaw who has had success with the Red Sox since the days of Bruce Hurst.  And don't bring up David Price...

The Chris Sale Effect

Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech could be huge losses for the Sox.  We would have liked a power hitting infielder and power righty.  And while they both had warts - Moncada can't hit a curveball and might be stupid - Kopech is really stupid - they could both become superstars.  While I have not heard of the other two guys who were traded, the first two guys could be huge losses...Yuge!

The Chris Sale Effect

Then there is the batsh*t crazy player himself.  All the apologists were telling us he was just shooting his way out of the Southside.  I didn't believe it.  I think he is an attention-seeking diva.  The cut up jerseys, the tirades about kids in locker rooms, the hatred for throwback uniforms, the outbursts against Gatorade cans.  This guy is as loony as the day is long.  And Boston media-types are going to have a field day with this guy.  The happiest guy might be David Price who while he makes $30 million a year can finally say "now they'll stop bothering me"

And then there are the boys.  C wanted to talk more about Mitch Moreland and G was just pissed that we were losing Moncada.

The Chris Sale Effect, indeed.