Levine: Hahn Dismisses Talk Of Trading Sale
By Bruce Levine
ORLANDO, Fla. (CBS) -- White Sox GM Rick Hahn was not very pleased with the trade twitter barrage that surrounded his star pitcher Chris Sale. As the winter meetings began in Orlando, FL, Hahn felt it was necessary to clarify his position on the 25-year-old ace.
"We know how important this guy is to our club and our future success," Hahn said Monday afternoon. "You are talking about what we see as a perennial Cy Young candidate. He is someone that can be a game one starter in the post season and someone who the club controls for the next six seasons."
Hahn was the major force behind the creative and moderate payout for the left hand starter. The Sox are in no position to say a player is off-limits. Sale is as close to an untouchable as there is on the South Side.
"Jerry (Reinsdorf said it best, there has been only one untouchable player in the last 30 years (Michael Jordan)," said Hahn. "I am not doing my job if we don't at least listen when people have ideas. At the same time we know the value of what we have here and (his) importance to us going forward. Take this for what it is worth but this strikes me as a bit of a dog bites man story."
The Sox will not move Sale unless some team is willing to give up three can't miss future All Star players in the eye of White Sox top executives. The only major concern with the longevity of the pitchers health is base on the violent delivery and the unorthodox mechanics that Sale displays.
"I love Sale and his bulldog approach to the game. He reminds me of Jack McDowell on and off the field. Sale is a fiery guy and an awesome talent. All that being a given, I would continue to talk to all comers about a deal that could set up the White Sox for the next decade. We have made no bones about the fact we are open minded," said Hahn.
"Certainly given the season we had last year we have to be open minded. At the end of the day there are certain important parts of this club that if we ever moved would have to be for return we felt was over the top."
