Chris Sale 'Lost Zero Respect' for Alex Cora, Says Astros Cheating Was Blown Out of Proportion

In an interview with ESPN, Chris Sale defends his former manager Alex Cora for his role in the Houston Astros cheating scandal.

With plenty of current MLB players openly upset with the Astros cheating scandal, Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale has a slightly different perspective.

In an interview with ESPN's Marly Rivera, Sale spoke on a number of topics, including his rehab from Tommy John surgery and how he views his former manager, Alex Cora, who was fired by the Red Sox for his role in Houston's sign-stealing scheme.

In response to a question about whether Sale's view of Cora has changed in light of the scandal, Sale unequivocally voiced his support.

"I lost zero respect for [Cora]," Sale said. "And look at what I did in 2017, in the playoffs. In the ALDS, you have to win three games, which means you can only lose two. I lost two of those three games to the Astros that were cheating, right? The very next year, [Cora] comes over to us and we won the World Series, and I learned who he is."

During the 2017 ALDS, Sale pitched in two games (with one start) and gave up nine runs and four homers in 9.2 innings.

Sale underwent Tommy John surgery on March 31 and is currently undergoing rehab.

On the Astros cheating scandal as a whole, Sale's is moving past it. While acknowledging the misconduct as wrong, he said he feels the response to the revelations have gone a bit too far.

"Maybe I'm different, but I believe everyone blew this thing out of proportion," Sale said. "Let me be clear: I believe what the Astros did was wrong. That is first and foremost. But it doesn't matter. What am I going to do? Am I going to go back and change it? Am I going to go steal the Astros' rings and put a 'B' on them instead of an 'H'? For me, it's just like this Tommy John surgery. I can sit around and pout about my elbow blowing up and missing games or I accept that I can't change it. I can't go back in the past. There's no point in sitting around complaining about losing.

"The what-if game doesn't appeal to me. When I see Jose Altuve or Carlos Correa or George Springer, I will still say hello to them. It's not like I'm not gonna talk to those guys ever again. That World Series may be tainted a little bit, but there's nothing I'll ever be able to do to change it."