3 more Boston Red Sox who won't be back in 2024 thanks to Craig Breslow

Red Sox ought to trade Chris Sale

Chris Sale isn't an ideal trade asset. The Red Sox would likely end up taking some of his remaining contract. However, if there is any velocity left in his once-explosive left arm, Sale is worth selling to the highest bidder so Boston can start over in their rotation and get him off the books. Breslow knows this -- Sale was a bad contract, and hasn't lived up to the billing in quite some time. Chaim Bloom had a chance to trade Sale at the 2022 trade deadline, per WEEI's Rob Bradford:

"Per a major league source familiar with the situation, just before the 2022 trade deadline - and a few weeks after Chris Sale had broken his finger in his second outing of the season - a team approached Bloom about dealing for the lefty," Bradford wrote. "The acquiring club was agreeing to take on all of the money left on Sale's contract (2 1/2 seasons of more than $50 million), while sending some semblance of players. The Red Sox wanted better players than were offered and no deal was done."

Will Breslow make the same mistake? Sale did come back to Boston in 2023 after a long stay on the injured list. He went 6-5 with a 4.30 ERA. Sure, Sale's performance was nothing spectacular, but it might be enough for another team to take on some of his remaining salary and deal an intriguing prospect back their way.

That ought to be enough.