Chris Sale on being the No. 4 starter for the Braves: ‘I can go out and suck and no one's gonna hate me now’
When spring training begins in February, Chris Sale will be reporting to a new camp for a new team.
When Sale pitches for the Braves, he doesn’t need to be the ace or Opening Day starter. Atlanta has that covered with Strider sitting atop the depth chart.
He will join a strong Braves rotation that features Spencer Strider, Max Fried and Charlie Morton. If healthy, Sale will slot as the No. 4 starter in the Braves rotation.
On Monday, Sale joined the Foul Territory show and the southpaw was asked what it’ll be like being the fourth starter in the Braves rotation.
Sale responded with a humorous and sarcastic answer.
"I can go out and suck and no one's gonna hate me now," Sale said with a smile. "When I first got to Boston, I think I was third or fourth," Sale said. "It went Rick (Porcello), DP (Drew Pomeranz), yeah. So seven years later, I only fell one spot. That's not terrible."
Sale acknowledged that he enjoyed being the ace of the staff and go-to guy for the Red Sox.
"I enjoy being a guy," he said. "I love going out there and competing. The most pressure-packed situation, hand me the ball, I want it the whole night. But at the end of the day, in terms of where I get slotted, where I'm pitching, whose pitching in front of me, whose pitching behind, what letter day of the week, what number day of the week, it doesn't matter. Hand me the ball, put some guys in the field behind me, and let's find a way to win. If anything, it should be motivating."
The Red Sox traded Sale to the Braves on Dec. 30 along with $17 million for infielder Vaughn Grissom. The trade ends Sale’s tenure in Boston where he won a World Series but will be known for the time he spent on the injured list.
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