When it was reported Chicago White Sox ace Chris Sale was scratched ahead of Saturday’s start against the Detroit Tigers, the immediate speculation was that the team was preserving his arm in case a trade arose.
That wasn’t the case. The White Sox scratched the starter due to a “clubhouse incident.”
Official: Chris Sale has been scratched from tonight’s scheduled start.
STATEMENT: pic.twitter.com/wOB8JTsjzu
— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) July 23, 2016
According to Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com, the incident stemmed from “something silly” which ballooned into a bigger problem. Crasnick further reports the Sale incident was with the front office/coaching staff and not with fellow players. He speculates that Kenny Williams was involved, as the two reportedly have a strained relationship.
It’s all quite vague at this point, but it seems Sale got upset about something and had it out with the front office.
There’s also this.
I'm hearing the Chris Sale incident was over something "stupid." Might have been a joke about getting traded and he flipped out.
— Chuck Garfien (@ChuckGarfien) July 23, 2016
The timing is strange, to say the least. Sale has been among the most discussed names in trade rumors. Jon Heyman of Today’s Knuckleball reported earlier on Saturday, the cost for Sale was an organization’s top five prospects. That’s a king’s ransom, but an appropriate ask from the White Sox. The five-time All-star is among the game’s best pitchers. In 19 starts, he’s 14-3 with a 3.18 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP – that’s damn impressive given the shape of his team.
Will Sale be dealt? We’ll have to wait a little bit longer to find out. But, the incident might speed up the decision for Chicago management to deal the ace — even if it’s a bad idea.
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