MLB Rumors: Braves’ Sale gamble, Cubs first move buzz, Jesus Luzardo favorite
- Why the Atlanta Braves chose to trade for Chris Sale
- First Chicago Cubs move might finally be on the horizon
- A potential Jesus Luzardo favorite is revealed
MLB Rumors: Why the Braves chose to trade for Chris Sale
The Atlanta Braves entered the offseason with a clear need in the rotation but nobody had the slightest clue who they'd pursue. The Braves appeared to covet Aaron Nola, but he quickly returned to the Phillies, breaking the hearts of Braves fans everywhere.
Other frontline starters who wouldn't break the bank like Sonny Gray and Eduardo Rodriguez would've make a lot of sense too, but they signed elsewhere. Dylan Cease was a popular trade candidate, but the cost to get him seemed to be astronomical. The Braves eventually ended up shocking the baseball world by trading for Chris Sale seemingly out of nowhere, giving up talented infielder Vaughn Grissom in the process.
At first glance, one might think the Braves trading for Sale is insane or that GM Alex Anthopoulos has finally lost his touch. However, when looking into reasons why Atlanta might've done this, it looks pretty smart now.
Fans question the trade for two reasons. First, durability. Sale has made just 31 starts in the last four years, a stunningly low number. Trading Grissom for a player who could get hurt at a moment's notice is undoubtedly risky, but it's one worth taking for Atlanta. They don't need Sale to make 30+ starts in a season. They need him to make 15-20 and be available in the postseason. Sale as a third starter in October would be an excellent luxury.
The second complaint some fans had was Sale simply not being great anymore. While he did have a 4.30 ERA in his 20 starts this past season for Boston, R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports highlighted that the advanced metrics suggest he was far better than his ERA would show.
Other stats, like his 3.80 xERA and 3.71 FIP suggest the same. Sale is still a very good starter who, when healthy, makes the Braves just that much scarier. Giving up Grissom isn't fun, but he didn't have a spot anyway. Getting Sale out of it, especially with Boston eating a large portion of the contract, is good business.
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