The Chris Sale trade 5 years later and how the White Sox won the trade
Over five years ago the White-sox shook the MLB to it’s core with an absolute blockbuster of a trade. The trade included at the time then perennial Cy-young candidate Chris Sale and top 50 prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael kopech. Moncada was the real gem of this trade for the White sox. Moncada was given a 70 grade by scouts overall which is mostly unheard of and was a consensus top 3 prospect in all of baseball. Kopech was very highly touted as well. With an 80 grade fastball and potential through the roof, how could White sox fans not be excited. Of course to acquire this much talent the Sox had to send Chris Sale shipping up to Boston.
Over four years later let’s see who really won this trade. Did the Red sox hurt themselves in the long run by pulling the trigger on this trade? Red sox fans may argue no due to the fact that they won it all in 2018. However, four seasons later, Red sox fans may find there’s a sour taste in their mouth when talking about this trade. Especially with the recent news of Chris sale being shutdown for the rest of the season again after falling off of his bike as the team fights for a wild-card berth. Sale is coming fresh off Tommy john surgery and the Red sox are on the hook for $25 million only to have Sale watch from the dugout.
Did the White sox get the last laugh?
The Chicago White Sox got quite the haul for Sale. Not only did they acquire aforementioned Moncada and Kopech. They also got two more prospects by the name of Luis Basabe and Victor Diaz. Basabe was later traded to the Giants for cash considerations in 2020. As for Diaz, Diaz has not played professional baseball since 2017. However when he last played he was pitching for the Red Sox low A affiliate and put up solid numbers.
Over 37 games Diaz put up a 3.88 ERA and even notched a reliever of the month award under his belt. Hopefully when he gets his health back on track we can see what he can do in a similar situation for Kannaopolis. The White sox currently have Moncada and Kopech under team control all the way up to 2026 for way less than what Chris sale is getting to sit on the sidelines. Yes Kopech and Moncada are also both coming off their own respective injuries.
However, Kopech has bounced back relatively nicely from TJ, to the tune of a 3.58 ERA. 98 strikeout’s in just about 111 innings pitched. Though I am sure the Sox would like to see the walks come down a bit.
Yoan Moncada has all the potential in the world when he’s right. I believe based off his previous full seasons Moncada can be a 30 HR 80+ RBI kind of guy who hits anywhere between .250-.270 maybe even higher. A guy who can even sipe 10-15 bags a year. When Moncada was first coming up through the ranks, he was being compared to MLB legend Gary Sheffield.
Moncada just needs to stay healthy and if he does he can be the face of a franchise with an already bright future. White Sox fans, be patient with Moncada. Though he has gotten off to a slow start this year (and was just recently placed on the IL with a hamstring strain) and has been mostly disappointing, he is the real deal and the fact that he is under team control until 2026 is just another reason to trust the process and trust in the fact that the Chicago White Sox won this blockbuster.
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