Call to the pen
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Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale makes unsurprising decision

By David Hill

Jul 12, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Jul 12, 2022; St. Petersburg, Florida, USA; Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Chris Sale (41) throws a pitch against the Tampa Bay Rays in the fifth inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports /
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In theory, Boston Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale could have become a free agent this offseason.

He had received an opt-out clause in the five year, $145 million extension that he signed after the 2018 season, allowing him to return to the market following the 2022 campaign. Doing so would mean forgoing the final two years, and $55 million, on that deal.

Chris Sale with Boston Red Sox for two more years

That opt-out is not going to happen. In perhaps the least surprising news of the offseason, Sale has decided to opt in to the remaining two years of his contract.

The Red Sox had to see this coming. Sale has battled a myriad of injuries since the end of the 2019 campaign, having made just 11 appearances for 48.1 innings since August 13, 2019. He made just two starts last season, allowing three runs, two earned, on five hits and a walk over 5.2 innings, striking out five.

There was a time when Sale was one of the more dominant pitchers in the game. An All Star from 2012 through 2018, he was a constant figure in the AL Cy Young race and one of the few true aces left in the game. Sale led the league in strikeouts and FIP twice, making batters look foolish while displaying impressive command. His 11.1 K/9 and 5.33 K/BB rates are the best in major league history, a testament to his dominance.

The Red Sox need him to return to that form in 2023. Nick Pivetta is the only given in the Red Sox rotation at this point, something that has to be concerning for a team with perennial postseason aspirations. Having Sale become an ace once more would go a long way toward stabilizing the rotation and improving their odds of reaching the playoffs.

It is fair to wonder if that is going to be the case. Sale has not pitched at that level since 2018, having dealt with elbow inflammation, Tommy John surgery, Covid, a stress fracture in his ribs, a medical issue that delayed his return, a fractured pinkie finger, and a fractured wrist. He has spent more time under the knife than he has on the mound. And yet, the Red Sox have to hope that the ace Sale once was is still there, waiting for health to re-emerge.

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Chris Sale is going to be with the Boston Red Sox for the next two years. They need him to be healthy if they are going to contend.

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