Chicago White Sox: 5 Reasons Chris Sale Won’t be Traded
By Ryan Schultz
5. Team Friendly Contract Through 2019
The White Sox are well-known for their resistance to spend big money, even when they have the ability to draw big name free agents to their team. When the White Sox have the ability to control high talent level at a low price, they usually hold onto those guys. During most recent memory, this would include players like Mark Buehrle, Paul Konerko, and Frank Thomas who were all essentially home brewed All-Stars.
Chris Sale is the next logical player in that progression of homegrown talent. Sale was drafted in 2010 with the White Sox first round draft pick, in a draft that included incredible talent like Bryce Harper, Manny Machado, and Matt Harvey. The White Sox hit the jackpot with Sale, considering their first round draft picks around Sale included Gordon Beckham, Micah Johnson, and Courtney Hawkins.
Chris Sale’s contract looks incredibly friendly when compared to the contracts that were signed by Zack Greinke and David Price this offseason (and rightfully so considering when Sale signed his). Chris Sale’s contract was signed after his first full year as a starter in 2012, and included a guaranteed 5 years with two additional years of team option. Essentially, the White Sox have Chris Sale locked down through 2019 with a very friendly contract. During the first five years of the contract, Sale will have been paid $32,500,000.
The White Sox treasure cheap contracts for very talented players, so giving up Sale, even for a large amount of talent, would hurt the White Sox budget a lot. In most assumed trade proposals, the White Sox will be targeting position players; if that is true, the White Sox will have to seek starting pitching help elsewhere. They are almost certainly not going to find the same level of talent at that price on the open market.
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