ATLANTA ADDS CHRIS SALE
The Atlanta Braves acquired pitcher Chris Sale and cash from the Boston Red Sox for infielder Vaughn Grissom.
What does it give the Atlanta Braves
After trades to improve their outfield and bullpen, the Braves now address their starting rotation in a big way. Sale, now 34, has struggled with injuries the past few seasons. When healthy, he can still be a dominant starter. He managed 20 starts in 2023, working to a middling 4.30 ERA but solid 1.13 WHIP and 10.96 K/9. A healthy Sale would make the Braves rotation one of the best in the game. Going the other way, Atlanta gives up a talented and Major League Baseball-ready prospect in Grissom. Still, the Braves boast a stacked lineup and appear confident in their middle infield depth.
What does it give the Boston Red Sox
After adding Lucas Giolito to their rotation, the Red Sox opted to improve their infield and look to the future with this move. In Grissom, they add a highly-touted prospect who has nothing left to prove in the minors. The 22-year-old is a skilled contact hitter who should compete for a starting role this season. Boston also covered a significant portion of Sale's 2024 salary to get the deal done. If Grissom becomes a star, this trade could be a major win for the Red Sox. Otherwise, the deal will look bad because of the amount of cash Boston included to send Sale to the Braves. Only time will tell.
Fantasy impact
Sale should only benefit from the move to Atlanta, but he remains something of a gamble in fantasy leagues due to recent injury troubles. Meanwhile, Grissom's fantasy stock rises after the trade, which opens up a clearer path to a starting job. Grissom will need to prove he can handle big-league pitching across a full season, but he is already worth a look in deeper leagues (and all keeper formats) this year.
