3 Red Sox players we’re glad are gone, 2 we wish had stayed
The Red Sox roster looks very different heading into the 2024 campaign, for better or for worse.
The Boston Red Sox have been active this offseason, but it can be questioned as to whether they've actually improved at all. New Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow has said all of the right things, but the Red Sox seem more focused on saving money than winning baseball games in reality, which is extremely frustrating for Red Sox fans who have had to watch their team finish at the bottom of the AL East three times in the last four seasons.
The Red Sox have made some quality additions like Lucas Giolito, Vaughn Grissom, Tyler O'Neill, and Liam Hendriks, but when looking at the pieces they've lost and what the rest of the division has done, it's impossible to not be disappointed, especially when the message entering this offseason was that the organization was ready to go "full throttle."
Some of the roster turnover was good, but fans will miss other players who wound up departing via trade or in free agency.
5. Red Sox fans won't miss Chris Sale's lack of durability
Will Red Sox fans miss watching Chris Sale pitch? Absolutely. They've already experienced that in the last four seasons as Sale has missed considerable amounts of time due to injury. He's made just 31 starts since 2019, averaging roughly eight starts per season. For a player who was making nearly $30 million annually, that's obviously not good enough.
When healthy, Red Sox fans know how good Chris Sale is. Sure, his ERA might've been a bit higher than they're accustomed to seeing this past season, but he did have a 3.80 FIP and 3.71 xERA according to FanGraphs while striking out 11.0 batters per nine.
Red Sox fans will miss watching Sale pitch, as when he does take the ball he's very good and a fun watch. The problem is he simply hasn't taken the ball enough. While Lucas Giolito might not be as good as Sale, he is at the very least extremely durable.
Red Sox fans will forever remember Chris Sale who was among the best pitchers in baseball to begin his tenure in Boston and helped them win a World Series, but it just wasn't working anymore at the end of the day. Perhaps a change of scenery can help Sale stay healthy. The Red Sox will be fine knowing they received their second baseman of the future, Vaughn Grissom, in exchange for Sale.