Red Sox Rumors Tease Stunning Reunion With Former Ace
The end of July is the heart of baseball’s silly season, and one of the more interesting rumors out there has Chris Sale potentially heading back to the Boston Red Sox.
Less than a year after the Red Sox traded the left-hander to the Atlanta Braves, some around the league are starting to wonder if a reunion could be in play. The speculation began with Jake Storiale of Talkin’ Baseball, who floated the possibility during a recent podcast segment.
“Chris Sale back to Boston. He’s got an option for next year, the Red Sox need high leverage pitching,” Storiale said. “The Braves operate a little differently, right? Looking for what could be the weird Jeff Passan tweet that drops: ‘Chris Sale is going back to Boston.’”
Rob Bradford of WEEI added fuel to the fire, chiming in on social media: “I have also had these thoughts.”
After a turbulent final stretch in Boston, Sale’s career roared back to life with the Braves last year. He went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and 225 strikeouts en route to capturing his first Cy Young Award and earning National League Comeback Player of the Year honors. Unfortunately, back issues kept him sidelined during the 2024 postseason.
It was a stunning rebound for the 35-year-old, who missed large chunks of time from 2020 to 2023 due to Tommy John surgery and multiple injuries. The Red Sox dealt him to the Braves last December in a move that brought back infielder Vaughn Grissom.
Despite the whispers, it is far from clear whether Sale fits Boston’s current mold. The Red Sox have expressed a clear preference for pitchers with long-term control and more proven durability. Sale’s injury history and age work against that trend.
For now, he remains on the Braves’ 60-day injured list while recovering from a rib fracture, with a possible return in late August. Sale threw yesterday for the first time since the injury.
Whether another injury comeback includes another stop in Boston — the place where he once secured the final out of a World Series — will remain an interesting possibility to watch.