Dave Dombrowski finally did exactly what everyone thought he was going to do ever since the day he took over as president of baseball operations for the Boston Red Sox in August 2015.
Dombrowski held true to his nickname of “Dealin’ Dave” on Tuesday and shipped two of Boston’s most promising prospects to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for their left-handed ace Chris Sale, who had been on the wrong side of disagreements with management twice this season.
Infielder Yoan Moncada, the No. 2 prospect in the Red Sox farm system, and pitcher Michael Kopech (No. 4) were part of the trade that brought the 27-year-old Sale to Boston with three years left in a reasonable contract. In fact, he’ll make $18 million less than David Price next season.
Dombrowski also sent Boston’s No. 7 prospect Mauricio Dubon (shortstop) to the Milwaukee Brewers earlier in the day in a package that included Travis Shaw and landed reliever Tyler Thornbury.
And all this comes after Boston’s baseball boss traded away the team’s top pitching prospect – 18-year-old Anderson Espinoza – to the San Diego Padres halfway through the 2016 season for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz.
No one should be surprised by Dombrowski dismantling of one of the most promising farm systems in Major League Baseball. The guy who entered this offseason having traded away 26 top prospects in 28 seasons traded away three top prospects in a five-hour span Tuesday.
There are plenty of positives and negatives to draw from the most recent chapter in Dealin’ Dave’s biography. And that’s the case with most MLB trades. Let’s take a look:
Sale automatically adds depth to a rotation that was already one of the deepest in the American League when firing on all cylinders. The 6-foot-6 Florida native has finished top five in Cy Young voting in each of the last four seasons and finished sixth in 2012. He’s coming off a 17-10 season and finished the year with a 3.34 ERA and career-high six complete games. His career 3.00 ERA already gives him the lowest career ERA of anyone in Boston’s starting rotation. He’s also the second youngest, behind only Eduardo Rodriguez, 23.
As the Providence Journal’s Bryan MacPherson pointed out on Twitter, reigning AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello is now the third best pitcher in Boston (behind Sale and David Price).
Sale stirred up national headlines twice last season and both times included a very public dispute with White Sox management. Sale came to the defense of teammate Adam LaRoche’s 14-year-old son Drake in March, expressing outrage when the White Sox asked that he make more infrequent visits to the clubhouse. I’m sure Sale was leading the charge when the team nearly boycotted a game to show support for their teammate and his son.
Sale was also the antagonist in one of last season’s strangest stories. He was suspended for five games for destroying retro jerseys with scissors before a start in July. At the time of the incident, sources close to the team said Sale’s outrage over not wanting to wear the throwback jerseys mirrored, “a temper tantrum.”
SOURCE: Sale had a temper tantrum in the clubhouse and forced the #WhiteSox hand. Forced to be sent home due to his behavior.
— Brian Bilek (@BrianBilek_) July 23, 2016
So the Red Sox just traded away two of the most skilled players in their farm system for a guy who threw two separate “temper tantrums” during his age-27 season? Awesome. Can’t see this going wrong. Especially when you mix in that guy David Price, who seems to double as a highly paid headcase at times.
It’s impressive that Dombrowski got the deal done without losing a single starter, especially after hearing that Sale’s midseason price included Jackie Bradley Jr., possibly Blake Swihart and possibly Andrew Benintendi.
All that being said, there’s been a lot of buzz around Moncada ever since the Red Sox signed him as an international free agent in 2015. Nine straight major league strikeouts in his rookie season shouldn’t take away from the fact that he’s supposed to be one of baseball’s best within the next 10 years. Mike Trout comparisons aren’t handed out every day. And that’s exactly who one scout compared Yoan Moncada to in September 2015.
Boston’s pitching staff certainly got better right away in this deal. The Red Sox farm system also took a colossal hit. But that’s life with Dealin’ Dave.
(Michelle Berthiaume can be reached at 369-3338, mberthiaume@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @MonitorMichelle.)