Chris Sale was supposed to be the Boston Red Sox ace for years to come when he signed his five year extension in 2019. He was a proven top of the rotation arm, a perennial All Star and Cy Young candidate who was set to be the pitcher the Red Sox needed for years to come.
But we all know what they say about the best laid plans of mankind. Sale has pitched a grand total of 48.1 innings since that extension officially kicked in for the 2020 season. He has missed time due to Tommy John surgery, a fractured rib, a fractured finger, and a fractured wrist over the past three years, keeping him off the mound.
Boston Red Sox will need Chris Sale to return to form in order to contend
Those days may be over. According to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe, Sale is feeling healthy entering spring training for the first time since 2019. He is also determined to prove his value to the Red Sox, saying that he owes it to his teammates, the front office, and the fanbase to be the pitcher he can be once more.
Sale had still been reasonably solid when he was on the mound. He had posted a 3.17 ERA and a 1.303 WHiP over those 48.1 innings, striking out 57 batters with 13 walks. The problem was that he had been getting hit harder than he had at any point in his career, with opponents posting a .263/.327/.405 batting line in 208 plate appearances.
As Sale will turn 34 years old on Opening Day and has battled a myriad of injuries over the past three years, it is fair to wonder if his best days are behind him. His extension, a move that the Red Sox had to make at the time, could end up being a sunk cost. That is something Sale is determined to keep from happening as he feels he can get back to being the pitcher he once was.
The Red Sox need that to happen. As it currently stands, Nick Pivetta may be the one given in the Red Sox rotation, which is not something that screams playoff contention. Sale is going to have to return to form if the Red Sox are going to have any hope of reaching the postseason. Sale feels he can be that pitcher; the Red Sox need him to be correct.
Chris Sale feels as though he is ready to be the pitcher the Boston Red Sox paid for. He needs to be if they are going to compete for a playoff berth.