Rumor: White Sox Asking Price for Chris Sale is High
White Sox rumored to have high asking price in return for its best pitcher. The All-Star pitcher could fetch a huge return for the south side team.
If the Chicago White Sox are going to trade Chris Sale, it will be at a very high price according to rumors. Jon Heyman, insider for MLB Network tweeted the Sox asking price for Sale is higher than before the trading deadline this year.
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The Sox should have a high asking price for Sale. This shouldn’t surprise many people, but it surprised some who balked at the idea of a high asking price for the All-Star pitcher. What the editor of Tomahawk Take Jeff Schafer failed to comprehend is Sale has a very team friendly contract. Not only that, he’s one of the better pitchers MLB, and is available for trade in a relatively thin free agent market for starting pitchers.
Sale is coming off another strong season as he went 17-10 with a 3.34 ERA. The All-Star pitcher recorded 233 strikeouts for his fourth consecutive season with 200 or more strikeouts. If Sale was a free agent today, he could command a total salary of up to $200 million. This has to play as a factor in the reasoning for the Sox having a high asking price according to Heyman.
Hearing Chris Sale price tag still high. "Maybe even higher" than in july. Still, there's hope for a winter meeting auction
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) November 25, 2016
The Sox should seek the maximum return for a pitcher like Sale in this market. Sale has been viewed as a rare talent, and its unlikely the Sox will be able to completely replace him in the near future. With Sale reportedly on the trading block, the Sox can take its time in searching for the best return for the left-handed pitcher.
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Sale could be the missing piece for a team looking to win a World Series in 2017. He will certainly be a force in a team’s starting rotation next season. The Sox are aware of this and they’re finally using some logic in demanding a high return. It will be up to the front office to actually execute on a trade involving Sale. If they do, expect a solid return that could be talked about for years to come.