Imrem: Sox must build around Sale, not trade him
For some mysterious reason, a lot of the chatter surrounding the White Sox lately involves whether to trade Chris Sale.
Huh?
The debate is enough to make you think of the lyrics to the country song "A Woman Like You" by Lee Brice.
"But if I was a single man … Alone and out there on the loose … Well, I'd be looking for a woman like you."
Robin Ventura had his own version when the subject of dealing Sale came up late Monday afternoon at U.S. Cellular Field.
"If you do that," the Sox' manager said of trading Sale, "you're always going to try to find a guy like him."
The problem is that there aren't many like Chris Sale out there. He's more than a No. 1 starting pitcher. He's an ace.
Sale is so good that he recently tied a major-league record with 10 or more strikeouts in eight straight starts.
The streak ended Monday night as Sale settled for 6 strikeouts but beat the Blue Jays 4-2 anyway on a 6-hit complete game.
So why all the talk around town over whether to trade a pitcher like this? Even Sox management has declined all invitations to designate Sale as untouchable.
The public perception is that the Sox are desperate with one of baseball's worst records even after the nice mini-run that they're on.
Trade Sale, the theory goes, and accelerate a rebuilding process by restocking the farm system with the returns.
How silly.
It's hard enough to notice the Sox now without dealing the one player - sorry, Jose Abreu - worth watching.
The Sox drew only 24,593 fans to the ballpark for the boffo matchup of Sale against former Sox favorite Mark Buehrle. Two other pitchers on a rainy day and the place might have been empty.
The crowd cheered Sale at 7:03 p.m. when he emerged from the bullpen, strolled into the dugout and then continued out to throw the first pitch.
Sale was cheered every time he reached two strikes on a batter. He was cheered until the end when he threw a double-play ball.
Trade this guy … not!
Moments like these have been rare on the South Side. So, sure, why don't the Sox trade Sale and give fans maybe the last compelling reason to go to the trouble and expense of attending a game?
Look, a Chris Sale is precious. If you have one you keep him. If you don't you search for one.
The Sox have a responsibility to build around a player like Sale. Otherwise, they might as well get out of the business of baseball.
It was up to Jerry Krause to build around Michael Jordan and he did. It was up to Dale Tallon and Stan Bowman to build around Jonathan Toews and they did.
It's up to Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf, vice president Kenny Williams and general manager Rick Hahn to surround Sale with championship-quality teammates.
As Ventura said, "It's difficult to find somebody (like Sale that) you can count on every five days."
That alone makes it incumbent upon Sox ownership and management to be smart enough, willing enough and financially extravagant enough to do what it takes to assemble a roster worthy of residing in the same clubhouse with Sale.
So, trade Chris Sale? Trade a pitching ace signed for reasonable money through 2019? Trade a team leader who just was named to the American League all-star team for a fourth consecutive year?
The Sox can look all they want but it might take forever to find another pitcher like that.