Last offseason, the Boston Red Sox sent starting pitcher Chris Sale (and $17 million) to the Atlanta Braves for infielder Vaughn Grissom.
Less than a year later, the Sale has been announced as the 2024 National League Cy Young winner.
Sale helped the Red Sox defeat the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2018 World Series and dealt with injuries in every season prior to the trade, making just 31 starts in his final four years with the club.
With Atlanta this season, Sale posted a league-leading 2.38 ERA, 1.013 WHIP and a league-leading 11.4 K/9 in 177 2/3 innings over 29 starts. He also tied for the most wins (18) in baseball with Detroit Tigers starter (and American League Cy Young winner) Tarik Skubal.
Boston is looking like the guaranteed loser of the Sale trade, as Girssom missed most of 2024 due to injuries and an illness. In 31 games, he hit just .190 with a .465 OPS, six RBIs and two stolen bases.
It's great to see Sale bounce back and have this success after watching him try so hard to recapture that greatness over the last few years. The Red Sox have to be somewhat upset and will be looking at Grissom heading into 2025 to make a more positive impact.
