What the Red Sox rotation would look like if they kept Chris Sale

The Boston Red Sox had one of the worst rotations in the American League last season and that was with Chris Sale making 20 starts - his most since 2019.

The Red Sox having virtually no pitching outside of Sale made it a surprise when the team chose to trade him away to the Atlanta Braves. As shocking as it was, the deal made sense. Sale had struggled to stay healthy and was making a ton of money while the Red Sox got Vaughn Grissom, their second baseman of the future, in return.

While it was hard to fault Craig Breslow for doing the deal that he did at the time, the Red Sox have had to watch Sale turn back the clock and look like the seven-time All-Star they had come to know and love. Sale's dominance can only make Red Sox fans imagine what if he was still with the team.

What the Red Sox rotation would look like with Chris Sale

Here's what the Red Sox rotation would look like if they hadn't traded Chris Sale.

1. Chris Sale
2. Brayan Bello
3. Nick Pivetta
4. Tanner Houck
5. Kutter Crawford

Starting pitching looked like a major weakness entering the season, especially after trading Sale, but the Red Sox have led the league in ERA virtually all season. Their starting pitchers also lead the league with a whopping 2.39 ERA thus far. Extraordinary.

With how well Boston has pitched this season, an argument can be made that they don't even need Sale. Kutter Crawford has a sub-2.00 ERA. Tanner Houck's is just barely above 2.00. Nick Pivetta has been limited to three starts but has pitched well. Brayan Bello has been the weakest link (if you can call him that) with a 3.04 ERA in his five starts). Adding Sale and his 2.95 ERA in seven starts feels unfair.

The only change that'd likely come from the Red Sox keeping Sale would be Boston not signing Lucas Giolito who wound up getting hurt anyway.

It'll be interesting to see if and how long Sale can stay healthy, and to see how long Boston's rotation remains the best in the league. Both are major questions. For now, while both are flourishing, it's fun to ponder.