The Atlanta Braves made a significant move, acquiring veteran left-handed starting pitcher Chris Sale from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for Vaughn Grisson.
The Braves had been in talks with teams starting pitchers this offseason, and now it appears that Chris Sale is the one that they felt comfortable enough pulling the trigger on in a deal with the Red Sox. Sale is owed $27.5 million in 2024, and has a $20 million club option for 2025, and the Red Sox are reportedly sending the Braves $17 million as part of the deal, according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com.
Sale had a no-trade clause, and agreed to move it to join the Braves, a team that has been at the top of the National League for the last several years.
Vaughn Grissom is a young player who has limited experience at the major league level from his time in the Braves organization, but he should get a better chance to establish himself in Boston.
With that said, it is time to grade the trade between the Braves and Red Sox.
Braves get veteran starter Chris Sale and cash
Anyone who has paid attention to the Braves this offseason knows that they have been looking to add a pitcher. They were in the running for Aaron Nola in free agency, who turned down more money from elsewhere to return to the Philadelphia Phillies. General manager Alex Anthopoulos recently confirmed he had talks with a team on a pitcher who was traded to another team this offseason, which presumably was Tyler Glasnow, who went from the Tampa Bay Rays to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Atlanta has also been mentioned as a potential destination for Dylan Cease, who will likely get traded by the Chicago White Sox this offseason.
Grissom was a legitimate infield prospect for the Braves, but he was blocked by Ozzie Albies and Orlando Arcia, who form a quality middle infield. Given that the Red Sox are picking up a significant portion of the money for Sale, it makes sense for the Braves to make this move.
Sale has been hampered by injuries over the last few years, with the last time he pitched in 25 games coming in 2019. However, given Grissom's blocked path to MLB, and the need to add some type of pitcher, this is a solid move for Atlanta. The Braves do not need Sale to be an ace.
Braves trade grade: B
Red Sox get Vaughn Grissom, clear salary
This trade for the Red Sox is reminiscent of the New York Mets trading Max Scherzer to the Texas Rangers and Justin Verlander to the Houston Astros. The Mets retained significant money on both contracts, and as a result they got solid prospects back, when they otherwise wouldn't. The retained money on Sale is absolutely the reason why Boston was able to bring in a player who had the prospect status that Vaughn Grissom held.
With the Red Sox seemingly taking a long-term approach to this offseason, this move makes a lot of sense, especially given that they were likely high on Grissom as a prospect. Even though the Red Sox retained some of the money for Sale, it clears some money for them to use on another starting pitcher this offseason.
Boston added Lucas Giolito on a two-year deal with an opt-out after 2024, but they likely need another arm. Someone like Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery would fit great in Boston. Clearing some money from Sale could make a signing like that more realistic. This is a no-brainer move for the Red Sox.
Red Sox trade grade: A
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