Although he helped the Boston Red Sox win their most recent World Series title, eight-time All-Star knows he let the franchise down during his second contract with the team.
When Chris Sale came to the Red Sox before the 2017 MLB season, he was viewed as maybe the best pitcher in baseball. He was already a five-time All-Star and went on to have one of the best seasons of an impressive career. He followed that up with another strong season as he battled injuries to help the team win a championship in 2018.
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However, the pitcher’s tenure with the franchise went downhill from there. Elbow issues led to the worst season of his career in 2019 as he went 6-11 and posted a 4.40 ERA. Then in 2020, that problem worsened and he needed to undergo Tommy John surgery. Missing all of that year and only making nine starts in 2021.
It seemed to open the floodgates to various injuries he would incur over the next few seasons as he made only 31 starts from 2021 to 2023. What made it all the worse was that the Red Sox gave him a massive five-year, $145 million contract before the 2020 season. The deal has since turned into, arguably, the worst in team history.
The 35-year-old was traded to the Atlanta Braves last offseason. And frustratingly would go on to win the 2024 NL Cy Young Award. It likely has changed his perspective on his career and is probably why he was so honest in a Sunday interview with the “Foul Territory” podcast when asked about his time in Boston.
- Chris Sale stats (Red Sox): 46-30 record, 3.27 ERA, 1,018 WHIP, 945 strikeouts, 670.2 innings pitched
Chris Sale admits not living up to contract makes Boston Red Sox tenure a disappointment
“In my mind, no, it was not,” when asked about if his Red Sox tenure was a success. “For a couple of reasons. I only had one fully healthy season there. I was there for seven years. That was the best year of my career [2017] from a stats standpoint. 2018 was probably close to, if not the second-best year of my career. Missed some time, but we had a great year and did end up winning the World Series.
“You talk about the contract. I didn’t do anything post-contract. Which bothers me. If we had won the World Series after I signed that contract I’d have felt a little bit better,” he admitted. “The best years of my baseball career were in Boston, but also the worst years of my career. And if those worst years, to be completely honest, weren’t so f***ing expensive it’s a kick. It’s not a fun thing that I’ll be able to look back on and remember about my life and career.”
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