Red Sox, Braves Make Blockbuster Trade Involving Chris Sale In Shocking Move

Boston is moving on from their former ace

Scott Neville | Dec 30, 2023

Red Sox, Braves Make Blockbuster Trade Involving Chris Sale In Shocking Move /

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Boston Red Sox chief baseball officer Craig Breslow might not be making as many free-agent signings as the fanbase would like but you cannot claim he hasn't been afraid to make a splash.

Not long after trading outfielder Alex Verdugo to the New York Yankees, Breslow has made a trade involving a storied but oft-injured star in exchange for a former top prospect.

"BREAKING: The Atlanta Braves are acquiring seven-time All-Star Chris Sale in a trade with the Boston Red Sox," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote Saturday. "Well-regarded infield prospect Vaughn Grissom is the return to Boston, which will send money with Sale, who waived his no-trade clause to join Atlanta"

Grissom has hit .287 with 15 extra-base hits including five home runs, 27 RBIs and a .746 OPS (105 OPS+) in 64 games with the Braves across the last two seasons.

The 22-year-old was the Braves' No. 7 prospect entering the 2022 season according to MLB Pipeline and has produced offensively at every level.

Unfortunatly, the middle infielder has been unable to sneak into Atlanta's stacked infield, creating an opportunity for this move.

While Grissom has plenty of upside to offer, he is a terrible defender, making this move questionable. Breslow claimed he wanted a defensive-minded second baseman -- which is where he's expected to be slotted in -- and did not get one.

Grissom has recorded -13 outs above average in parts of two seasons, -8 at shortstop and -5 at second base. He would be a terrible addition to the already-woeful defensive group that includes liabilities around the diamond -- Rafael Devers at third base, Triston Casas at first base and Masataka Yoshida in left field.

With Sale out of the picture and right-hander Lucas Giolito in, the rotation is only slightly better than it was entering Friday. Boston went from upgrading the rotation to exchanging arms for a moderate improvement.

I'm not sure I get this one unless Breslow uses the extra money to make a big move such as an acquistion of Jordan Montgomery. Even still, the Red Sox should not have to move money around to pay for a second-tier frontline starter.

I don't like the move from a rotation or middle infield standpoint.

More MLB: Red Sox Reportedly Sign All-Star Starting Pitcher To Bolster Rotation

Published Dec 30, 2023

SCOTT NEVILLE

Scott Neville covers the Boston Red Sox for Sports Illustrated's new page "Inside The Red Sox." Before starting "Inside The Red Sox", Neville attended Merrimack College, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Communication and Media with a minor in Marketing. Neville spent all four years with Merrimack's radio station WMCK, where he grew as a radio/podcast host and producer. His propensity for being in front of a microphone eventually expanded to film, where he produced multiple short films alongside his then-roommate and current co-worker Stephen Mottram. On a journey that began as a way to receive easy credits via film classes, he received a call from "It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" star Charlie Day. Day advised him to make a feature-length film, which he completed his senior year. While writing the film, Neville completed an internship for United Way as part of their NFL Partnership Program. Neville ran the blog for a team of interns and hosted an internet show called "United Way's NFL Partnership Series" where he interviewed NFL alumni. After college Neville wrote for SB Nation's "Over The Monster," a Red Sox sister site of the flagship brand. His work would eventually lead him to a job as a content producer with NESN, where he would cover all sports. After developing as a writer with the top regional network in the world, he was given the opportunity to join the Sports Illustrated Media Group in his current endeavor as the publisher of "Inside The Red Sox." The successful launch and quick rise of "Inside The Red Sox" led to Neville joining the Baseball Essential ownership group, a national baseball site under SIMG. Follow him on Twitter: @ScottNeville46 Email: nevilles@merrimack.edu