Trading away a once-popular player who was thought to be on the rise is always tough. The same applies to dealing with a guy people thought was washed. Well, when the Atlanta Braves traded for Chris Sale in exchange for Vaughn Grissom in a deal with the Boston Red Sox, nobody saw this coming. Sale went on to win the NL Pitching Triple Crown during his first season in the Atlanta rotation.
- John Buhler
FanSided Staff Writer
Why we needed this fandom this year
As a professional writer, I am a sucker for narratives. Stats do nothing for me, but when they are compelling enough to grab my attention, I feel even more validated. Sale was cast off by Boston, destined to reside in the Hall of Very Good. Fate would have it, the Lakeland, Florida native was dealt to his favorite childhood team and had the best year of his career. We all love redemption acts.
What we’ll remember about this fandom a decade from now
Sale had been a borderline hall-of-fame candidate prior to this season. He was so dominant in his 20s when he was the ace of the Chicago White Sox. While he did win a ring in Boston, he needed that one great year to ensure himself of Cooperstown enshrinement. Although Atlanta did not win anything in the postseason this year, Sale did more than enough in his first year with the team to become a lock.