Headlines

  • Lucas Giolito Converts Club Option To Mutual Provision
  • Yordan Alvarez To Miss Time With “Pretty Significant” Ankle Sprain
  • Giants To Promote Bryce Eldridge
  • Mets Moving Sean Manaea To The Bullpen
  • Blue Jays To Promote Trey Yesavage For MLB Debut
  • Dodgers Place Will Smith On Injured List
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Athletics
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Red Sox Exercise Club Option Over Chris Sale

By Jeff Todd | October 30, 2018 at 1:18pm CDT

In one of the easiest option decisions in baseball, the Red Sox announced today that they have picked up their option over lefty Chris Sale for the 2019 season.

His contract originally called for a $13.5MM salary for the upcoming campaign, with a $1MM buyout. Owing to his prior Cy Young placement, though, it was boosted to a $15MM final value. When the deal wraps up after the 2019 campaign, Sale will have earned a total of $58MM over a seven-year term.

Acquired from the White Sox before the start of the 2017 season, the 29-year-old Sale has continued to excel since swapping his pale hose for crimson stockings. He has thrown 372 1/3 regular-season innings of 2.56 ERA ball thus far in Boston.

If there are any questions, they relate not to the quality of Sale’s work on the mound, but his ability to stay there. It would be unfair to make too much of five-start absence in 2018, as he has mostly been an exceptionally durable pitcher, but the shoulder woes that cropped up this year certainly represent something to watch moving forward. Hopefully, an offseason of rest will allow Sale to enter Spring Training at full speed.

Share 0 Retweet 4 Send via email0

Boston Red Sox Transactions Chris Sale

NL Notes: Phillies, Cubs, Marlins
Main
Twins Decline Options Over Ervin Santana, Logan Morrison
View Comments (29)
Post a Comment

29 Comments

  1. RedRooster

    7 years ago

    Shocker

    1
    Reply
    • joshua.barron1

      7 years ago

      I don’t think it was such a no brainer. Ok that obviously is me trolling lol but with his second half performance each of the past two years, not to mention his mixed playoff results at best, what has he done to merit a long term contract?

      I’m not saying they shouldn’t have picked it up, but if he were a free agent he may have opted for a 1 year pillow deal with a player option any how.

      He could potentially increase or decrease the value of his next contract by $100,000,000+ with next year’s performance. He better hope it’s the first one that he’s healthy and pitching deep into games wire to wire, not just in meaningless games in May against the orioles

      1
      Reply
      • deweybelongsinthehall

        7 years ago

        I know this might seem bizarre but why not consider as if the season starts 06/01? If it weren’t his contract year, consideration might be given. As was stated above by JB1 however, there is just too much $$ at stake for Sale to agree. Maybe they’ll get creative like they did with Lackey and get this done.

        1
        Reply
        • joshua.barron1

          7 years ago

          I would love to see them have him start in late June, early July. Imagine if he was pitching in September and October like he normally does then…

          1
          Reply
        • MetsYankeesRedSox

          7 years ago

          How many summers did Clemens do that?

          Reply
      • johnrealtime

        7 years ago

        It is absolutely ridiculous IMO to think that if Chris Sale were a free agent that he would be may seek a 1 year contract. Look at his numbers. I know the critiques about his late season slumps and post season performance but look at the numbers overall. He would be looking at a ridiculously huge contract, would be silly for a pitcher to forgo hundreds of millions of dollars and risk having to have TJS by accepting a pillow contract

        1
        Reply
        • AndyM

          7 years ago

          Sale would beat Price numbers in FA

          Reply
      • bob67wo

        7 years ago

        The real issue with Sale like so many other great pitchers. Is his frame. Skinny guys no matter how good they are early in their career never seem to come close to the 300 win totals they seemed destined for. Sox should seriously consider dangling him out in the trade market to get a sense of his worth.

        Reply
  2. DG32

    7 years ago

    In other news, water is wet

    3
    Reply
    • seanm

      7 years ago

      Fire is burned

      Reply
  3. Yanks2

    7 years ago

    He’s better than Clayton Kershaw and should be getting paid more too

    3
    Reply
    • Zach725

      7 years ago

      As long as he stays healthy, he will get paid more next year

      Reply
    • User 4245925809

      7 years ago

      Only hope he doesn’t go that way and will settle for something along the deal that Price took (or little less) and stay in Boston.

      LA fans may not admit it, but when did kershaw ever throw 99-100 and still have the wipeout slider like Sale has had the previous 2 seasons? Not since he has been throwing after the DL trip of course, but since coming over to Boston.

      Granted both have the wipeout slider, but only one was able to crank it up to triple digits.

      Reply
      • Falsehope

        7 years ago

        Kershaw did win 3 Cy Young awards without a triple digit pitch, just saying.

        4
        Reply
        • Yanks2

          7 years ago

          He also pitches in the National League which has no DH. Kershaw’s ERA would be .50 more if he was in the American League

          Reply
        • mmarinersfan

          7 years ago

          I really don’t think a lack of a DH is the reason why his ERA is that low.

          Reply
    • johnrealtime

      7 years ago

      He’s a year younger than Kershaw. CK has had a much better career than Sale, has merely had recent injuries. Maybe Sale has as many injuries and issues in his age 30 season as Kershaw did this year

      Reply
  4. Meow Meow

    7 years ago

    “Swapping his pale hose from crimson stockings.” Jeff, please never leave xD

    And obviously, glad to have our closer back šŸ˜‰

    Reply
    • slowcurve

      7 years ago

      I’m a fan of pale hose myself. I find overly tanned female specimen to be annoying.

      1
      Reply
  5. xabial

    7 years ago

    Maybe the easiest call of the off season.

    Reply
  6. ronnsnow

    7 years ago

    TyPiCaL bOsToN mOvE aLwAyS lOoKiNg To BuY a TiTlE

    3
    Reply
    • ellisburks

      7 years ago

      Nice use of the Spongebob meme.

      Reply
    • MetsYankeesRedSox

      7 years ago

      youRe ONly on THis rant i bEt Is because you Don’t lIke Our Team!

      Read just capital letters :0)

      1
      Reply
      • Slevin

        7 years ago

        Great, you just broke ey :0(

        1
        Reply
        • MetsYankeesRedSox

          7 years ago

          sorrEY

          Reply
    • citizen

      7 years ago

      i think you mean the jankees.
      at least Sale never sliced up boston jerseys in the clubhouse.

      Reply
  7. Guest617

    7 years ago

    imagine being twice as good as your peers and making half as much has to chap his a$$

    Reply
    • JKB 2

      7 years ago

      He signed the contract

      Reply
  8. bravesgt

    7 years ago

    Why would they do that?

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Lucas Giolito Converts Club Option To Mutual Provision

    Yordan Alvarez To Miss Time With “Pretty Significant” Ankle Sprain

    Giants To Promote Bryce Eldridge

    Mets Moving Sean Manaea To The Bullpen

    Blue Jays To Promote Trey Yesavage For MLB Debut

    Dodgers Place Will Smith On Injured List

    Dipoto: Mariners Interested In Re-Signing Josh Naylor

    Anthony Volpe Playing Through Partial Labrum Tear

    Orioles Promoted Mike Elias Prior To 2025 Season

    Anthony Rizzo Retires

    Cubs Place Kyle Tucker On Injured List

    Blue Jays Place Bo Bichette On Injured List

    Phillies Place Trea Turner, Alec Bohm On Injured List

    Sean Murphy To Undergo Hip Surgery

    Trea Turner To Undergo MRI Due To Hamstring Strain

    Davey Johnson Passes Away

    Mets Option Kodai Senga

    NPB’s Kazuma Okamoto, Tatsuya Imai Expected To Be Posted For MLB Teams

    Shelby Miller Likely Headed For Tommy John Surgery

    Red Sox To Place Roman Anthony On Injured List

    Recent

    MLB Mailbag: Cardinals, Orioles, Astros, Schwarber, Casas

    MLBTR Podcast: The Struggling Mets, Bryce Eldridge, And Trey Yesavage

    MLB Abandons Plans For 2026 London Series

    Sandy Alcantara Is Finding His Old Form

    Royals To Place Ryan Bergert On Injured List With Forearm Tightness

    Rangers To Activate Tyler Mahle On Friday

    Angels Outright Chad Wallach

    Poll: Luis Robert Jr.’s Option

    Lucas Giolito Converts Club Option To Mutual Provision

    Brewers Place Jose Quintana On IL Due To Calf Strain

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version