Red Sox get ace Sale from White Sox

Kopech, meanwhile, does not have the high floor of Moncada, but is a hard thrower who struck out 13.7 batters per nine innings at two Single-A levels last season.

Boston Red Sox trade rumors reveal that Chris Sale may have been acquired from the Chicago White Sox. The Pirates connection, of course, is that the Pirates and Nats have also discussed Andrew McCutchen.

The Boston Red Sox dramatically retooled to build anew after winning the World Series in 2013, but on Tuesday they revised the blueprint again to go all-in for another title chase.

“We feel good about the players that we kept in not doing a Sale deal, but obviously a great pitcher went over to the Red Sox”.

Basabe, a 20 year old switch hitter, is considered a quality defensive center fielder with solid offensive tools but questions about his contact ability. He also recorded 233 strikeouts (9.3 K/9) and a 4.9 bWAR en route to be named an American League All-Star and finishing fifth in AL Cy Young award voting and 16th in AL MVP award voting.

The Red Sox will add Sale to a rotation that includes $217 million lefty David Price, AL Cy Young Award victor Rick Porcello and 23-year-old lefty Eduardo Rodriguez in a group that rivals the star-studded staffs fronted by Justin Verlander and Max Scherzer that Dombrowski assembled in Detroit.

Sale has a team-favourable contract that calls for a $12 million salary next year and includes club options for 2018 at $12.5 million and 2019 at $15 million. Michael Kopech is a premier pitching prospect, ranking 93rd in the most recent top 100 prospects ranking by Baseball America. The Red Sox committed $63 million in February 2015 to sign Moncada – a $31.5 million signing bonus and an overage tax for the portion of their bonus that exceeded their $1.8 million global bonus pool at the time.

Moncada did not appear ready through his first eight major league games this year.

Many thought the White Sox would hold out for major-league ready talent in any deal they make. He continued, “We feel we can project to have similar impact beyond perhaps even what we now have”. If all three of those guys play to their full potential, the Red Sox are poised to be the best team in the AL.

However, White Sox fans should be very happy as well.