John Farrell On What Chris Sale Brings To Red Sox: 'He Pitches With An Edge'
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox certainly added the talent and durability of an ace pitcher to their rotation when they signed David Price. But what they didn't get with Price is an attitude - the good kind of attitude, the kind that Pedro Martinez and Curt Schilling projected every time he got the ball. The Red Sox can now say they have an ace with such an attitude with the acquisition of Chris Sale.
Manager John Farrell and president of baseball ops Dave Dombrowski addressed the media on Tuesday afternoon in the wake of the trade, which sent top prospect Yoan Moncada and three others to the Chicago White Sox as part of the deal to acquire Sale. When asked about what Sale specifically brings to the Red Sox rotation, Farrell said his competitive nature on the mound will be a major influence on the rest of the team.
"[Sale] pitches with an edge," said Farrell. "His numbers and performance speak for themselves, but I think there's a persona that he projects. ... That's the image that the team will reflect or take when he's on the mound."
The cynic in me took that comment as a direct shot at Price, who edge-wise is pretty much the opposite of what Sale brings. He may pitch like an ace most of the time, but he certainly doesn't act like one, and it's part of the reason that he's historically struggled in the postseason and pressure situations in general. Cy Young winner Rick Porcello, meanwhile, brings a similar attitude but doesn't quite have the kind of stuff you'd expect in an ace.
Sale can be a top-of-the-rotation power pitcher and take over that "alpha" role in the rotation. Ideally, this will allow Price to settle comfortably into a secondary role and Porcello to thrive as one of the best mid-rotation starters in the American League. And a pitcher of Sale's mentality seems like a safer bet to perform well when the pressure is turned up - but it's still a gamble, as Sale has never pitched a single inning in the postseason.
On paper, and based on his personality, in Sale the Red Sox rotation really has the ace it needs now. It already had the talent; now it has the attitude.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.