A Red Sox-Cardinals trade to make good on Chris Sale rumors

The Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals are two teams that can get to work on the latest Chris Sale rumors.

There may not be a better team for the Boston Red Sox to make the Chris Sale rumors come true with than the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals could use another starting pitcher and someone under contract beyond 2023. They have a ton of MLB-ready players they could spare in a potential deal and a couple of guys who could see big-league action by 2024.

These Chris Sale rumors seemed to come out of nowhere, but are definitely worth paying attention to. If the Red Sox do make him available, they can clear payroll and maybe set themselves up better for the future.

Looking squarely at the Cardinals, what kind of a deal could we see centered on Chris Sale?

Making a trade between the Red Sox and Cardinals work

The Cardinals will need to clear a spot in their rotation in this deal to make it work. The Red Sox can use another arm and possibly upgrade with a bat. What kind of a trade could make both teams happy?

In this trade, the team acquiring each player pay the full salary. This puts the Cardinals on the hook for the $27.5 million owed to Sale over each of the next two seasons. The Red Sox then pick up the bill on Steven Matz. He has three years left on his deal and another $35.5 million left.

Along with Matz, the Red Sox add catching prospect Ivan Herrera whose career in St. Louis won’t go beyond a backup with Willson Contreras on the roster. Gordon Graceffo, the 79th-ranked prospect in MLB, assures the Red Sox are getting at least one notable prospect in the deal. Because this trade is so much about the Red Sox clearing his salary, it’s probably the best they can hope for.

For Boston to even make Sale available, it says a few things. They benefit from clearing the salary. Even if they take on Matz, there are some good savings they could put toward extending Rafael Devers. Herrera immediately becomes a contender for a spot behind the plate. Graceffo can spend another year in the minors developing. It sets more realistic standards.

The Chris Sale rumors are still fresh and they may be brief. Teams are interested in him, but is Boston willing to listen?

Believing the Red Sox have a legitimate shot to win in 2023 is ridiculous at this point. Moving on from Sale will help them to do a few other things. As much as they may not want to lose another trade, now is the best time to move on from Sale while there is interest. He has barely played in the last three years. Get what you can. This trade is one to make.