Red Sox Pick Up Chris Sale's 2019 Contract Option
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Red Sox are still celebrating their 2018 World Series, but they took care of a little business on Tuesday.
Boston has picked up the 2019 contact option on left-hander Chris Sale, the team announced on Tuesday. The move was merely a formality, as Sale is slated to make $15 million for the 2019 season. Even with some arm concerns, paying Sale $15 million for a season is a bargain in today's MLB.
The 29-year-old went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA over 27 starts in his second season with the Red Sox, earning his seventh straight All-Star nod. His 237 strikeouts (in just 158 innings) ranked third in the American League, despite the lefty missing most of the second half due to shoulder discomfort. Sale was not himself during the postseason, but finished 1-0 with a 4.11 ERA in three starts and two relief appearances. He recorded the final three outs in Game 5 in Los Angeles, striking out the side as Boston clinched the 2018 World Series championship.
The Red Sox traded for Sale during the winter of 2016, sending top prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech to the Chicago White Sox. In his two seasons in Boston, Sale is 29-12 with a 2.56 ERA while averaging 13.17 strikeouts per nine innings.