**Paraphrased Version:**
Chris Sale’s seven-year stint with the Red Sox will always leave a bittersweet legacy for fans, especially given his immediate resurgence after leaving Boston. After dominant 2017 and 2018 seasons that justified his five-year, $145 million extension, Sale’s performance plummeted in 2019. He missed 2020 due to Tommy John surgery and managed just 151 innings over his final three years with the team, plagued by injuries. His trade to the Braves marked a stunning turnaround: Sale became the first Braves pitcher to win the Triple Crown, claimed his first Cy Young Award, and led Atlanta to success, while the Red Sox stumbled to an 81-81 record with a middling rotation in 2024.
To their credit, the Red Sox made significant offseason moves, most notably acquiring left-hander Garrett Crochet in a trade with the White Sox. At spring training, manager Alex Cora drew a bold comparison, calling Crochet “Chris Sale, but stronger.” Sale, in good spirits, responded by texting Cora a GIF from *Little Giants* of a kid flexing in the mirror, poking fun at the remark.
While Crochet and Sale share similarities—both are tall, lanky lefties—the “stronger” caveat is crucial. Crochet, still arbitration-eligible until 2027, comes at a fraction of Sale’s cost and represents a cornerstone of Boston’s offseason strategy. However, concerns linger: Crochet only transitioned to a full-time starter last year, and the White Sox carefully managed his innings. For the Red Sox, the hope is that Crochet proves both stronger and more durable than Sale, avoiding the injury woes that marred Sale’s tenure. Otherwise, Cora’s comparison risks becoming an infamous meme, endlessly recycled by baseball fans as a cautionary tale.
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