Monday, July 25, 2016

Bought Low on Chapman, Now Buy Low on Sale


The Chicago White Sox have told teams that they are not necessarily motivated to sell off either of their left-handed starting pitchers Jose Quintana or Chris Sale but you have to think the team GM Rick Hahn is at least considering changing his stance after this weekend. See Sale was scratched from a start this weekend because of a clubhouse altercation that resulted in Sale cutting up all the retro throwback uniforms the team had because he did not want to wear one on the day he pitched. Yes I'm serious. The New York Yankees took advantage of Aroldis Chapman's off the field altercation to buy low on him so could the team do the same with Sale?

At the time of this writing Sale was pitching to a 14-3 record with a 3.18 ERA and would fit into the Yankees plans of acquiring a pitcher that is under team control beyond the 2017 season. Sale is under team control through the 2019 season and he has to be wearing thin on the nerves of the White Sox organization and front office. Sale was very vocal during the offseason when Adam LaRoche was told he could no longer bring his son into the White Sox clubhouse before and during games and now we have this. It sounds like the White Sox would be more willing than ever to trade him and his value may be lower than you think.

Ladies and gentleman, we call this a Brian Cashman special. Now I'm not saying I think it will happen because honestly I don't but I think it is at least a conversation that Brian Cashman needs to have with Rick Hahn. There will be teams who can and would blow any potential Yankees offer out of the water either because of Cashman's unwillingness to unload top prospects or simply because their respective farm systems are ranked more highly than the Yankees.

Sale has suddenly become a defiant player in a clubhouse that he feels alienated in. He presumably wants out and Chicago presumably wants him gone because negativity is poison so why not unload him to New York? The Yankees don't have retro jersey's and I believe key veterans like CC Sabathia, Carlos Beltran and others could keep his ego in check. I used to call that the "Derek Jeter Effect" but the same remains true here today. There is something about putting on the pinstripes and something about being in that clubhouse that calms down the most vocal and the most defiant. It worked with everyone not named Reggie Jackson and it can work again with Sale.

But will it? Unlikely, but stay tuned.



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Sorry for the Capatcha... Blame the Russians :)