White Sox have come a long way since dark, dark days of Chris Sale trade

It’s been nearly a decade since left-hander Chris Sale threw his final pitch with the Chicago White Sox. The nine-time all-star posted a league-leading six complete games during a 17-win 2016 season before the White Sox underwent their first full-scale rebuild, dealing Sale to the Red Sox for Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, and two other prospects. As Sale gets set to pitch at Rate Field Wednesday night for the Braves, let’s reflect on the trade and how far the White Sox, and Sale, have come since. 

After being drafted by the White Sox in the first round, Chris Sale reached the big leagues quickly and hit the ground running. He posted strong numbers in 2010 and 2011 as a reliever before moving in the rotation in 2012 and not looking back. Sale went on to make five consecutive all-star games with the White Sox before his trade to Boston, then made two more in a row after the deal. Sale would go on to help the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018 and head to Atlanta in 2024, where he won his first career Cy Young award. At 37 years old, Sale is still one of the most dominant arms in the National League. It’s safe to say his departure from Chicago wasn’t a road block. 

For the White Sox, it signaled a change of direction for the first time. The team had been stuck in years of mediocrity and was in desperate need of a change. Trading away their ace started the full shift toward the young talent and led to the White Sox playoff push during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Of course, all White Sox fans know that not much came of the rebuild. The White Sox acquired a ton of prospects that didn’t pan out and ended up tearing it all down a second time. They’re just now moving towards a window of contention in the next few seasons. 

The White Sox wouldn't be where they are without the Chris Sale trade

Both Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech, acquired in the Sale trade, had strong moments in a White Sox uniform, but neither truly became the franchise cornerstone the White Sox hoped for. The trade isn’t necessarily a failure itself, and most White Sox fans would still consider it the right decision at the time. It’s more of a testament to how far the organization has come since 2016. 

Aside from the obvious notion that all the players are different, the White Sox have completely revamped their front office, scouting, and development departments. They've made inroads in markets they haven't touched in years. They’re developing draft picks and post-hype prospects at a rate they’ve never done before. When lefty Hagen Smith reaches the big league roster this season, it’ll mean that every White Sox first round pick since 2012 (with the exception of 2025) have made the big leagues. In the years before, the White Sox were sitting around 50%. They’re far from perfect, but they’ve grown a lot. 

White Sox fans will get a stark reminder of the trade that started it all as Chris Sale takes the mound Wednesday night in Chicago. While the results from the Chris Sale trade didn’t directly give the White Sox the extended run of championships they hoped for, the trade set the events in motion that have led us to where we are today. 

It may have taken much longer than anticipated, but the White Sox are hoping to finally see payoff from the change in direction. There’s a long way to go, but they seem to be on the right track.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow