White Sox: Has Chris Sale Thrown His Last Pitch for Team?

Chris Sale’s future with the White Sox is still in question. After another losing season should the team look to cash in or hope to turn things around next season?

The Chicago White Sox already have replaced manager Robin Ventura but there are still plenty of questions surrounding this team. After another losing season, the biggest move facing the team this offseason is what to do with Chris Sale. After all, he is no doubt the team’s best player but could net a huge return. A return that could change the fate of this team.

By all accounts, the lefty had another solid season. He finished 17-10 with a 3.34 ERA and pitched a career high 226.2 innings. It definitely looked like Sale was on target to win 20 games but he had a rough second half. But in his defense there were plenty of games where he pitched well enough to win, only to get a loss or no decision.

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His last start against Minnesota, though, was just an example of him having a rough day. It seemed like he couldn’t do anything right. If anything, it just helped show why Ventura needed to go. Still, we have to wonder what would be the best move for the team. Do you trade a guy who has made five-straight all-star appearances for four or five top prospects? Or do you hang onto him and hope he can help change your team’s misfortunes?

It’s definitely not an easy answer. But if you’re a fan of Sale, you would rather see him go. This guy is just too talented to play for a bad baseball team. Put him on a good team like the Red Sox, Dodgers or even the Cubs, and he’s most likely winning 20+ games and finishing tops in the Cy Young voting. Unfortunately for Sale he’s on the wrong side of town, and will once again watch the playoffs from his couch.

Since becoming a starter in 2012, he’s pitched extremely well, only to see the rest of the team crumble around him. It must be painful for him to play on a team like this. But he soldiers on and for the most part was a good sport, minus the time he cut up the jerseys and said the organization would rather make money than win games.

Honestly, I don’t blame him for a second. His childish actions shed light on just how out of touch the front office was with reality. Not only that, the front office wasn’t even on the same page. It’s no secret executive vice president Ken Williams and general manager Rick Hahn aren’t on the same page. If anything, Sale’s little outburst got people talking about it. Clearly, this team lacks direction and that’s why no one has a clue what they will do this offseason.

There’s no doubting this guy is a great pitcher. And he would definitely net the White Sox a huge return if they decided to move him. You would like to be able to give it another year but with the amount of players they are asking, it would difficult to move him at the deadline. I would definitely not be opposed to keeping him but there are things the organization needs to do to help put him in the best scenario to win. That means the offense has to show up every night.

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The bottom line is if the White Sox keep him they need to put a better product on the field. If they decide to go into rebuild mode, there’s no sense in having his talent waste away on the South Side. Do him a favor and trade him. That way he can spend the prime of his career in a winning environment and the White Sox can get their rebuild done faster. It’s never easy to trade a franchise player, but with the current makeup of this roster, Sale is definitely better off with a different organization.