Would it be wise for the Red Sox to extend the sale of Chris this spring?

While several offices were closed due to President's Day, leaving a good deal of the public spending the day at work, the Red Sox completed their first full training. And as any organization is present in a field, this can only mean one thing: the availability of the media.

The off season has been terribly slow and the ball club seems to be entering 2019 with almost the same lineup as 2018, apart from a few minor adjustments. But one of the main topics in early spring is the future free agents of the team and what they will eventually keep. And the Red Sox's main owner, John Henry, today admitted something we already knew. According to the Boston Globe, which Henry also owns, when he spoke about imminent free agent classes in coming years, he alluded to the fact that the team will not be able to retain all the core players that she is lucky to keep. have together right now.

However, one of the relatively recent key acquisitions on the Red Sox, Chris Sale, has apparently already had some preliminary discussions about an extension of the contract with the team.

Tom Werner says on @MutCallahan The Red Sox had contract extension talks with Chris Sale

– Rob Bradford (@bradfo) February 18, 2019

Since he's been traded to the Red Sox before the 2017 season, Dirty is exactly what they thought they had. The southpaw has always been dominant, has been the star thrower of the American League every season and has continued to receive votes from Cy Young, which has earned him seven consecutive seasons.

Chris Sale wants to be here, he has already said it clearly. He loves the city and the fans and told the media that his phone was on if the team was ready to talk. Well, it sounds like it sounded according to Tom Werner, because it seems that the conversations have already begun.

The question then becomes; Would it be wise for the Red Sox to extend Sale's contract and pay him honestly what he deserves this spring rather than wait for the next off season?

The positive aspect of the conclusion of this agreement now? Sale is not allowed to reach the free agent market, which apparently distances any competition will have to have it. The free agent market has basically seen the equivalent of the stock market collapse. There is no movement and the owners remain satisfied, but I think it would be different for a guy like Sale.

While he would command a large salary and receive one, he made it clear that his first goal was to win. So, if the right team comes up with a contract that is almost up to his talents, he will understand it because of his love for the game, as one might think.

The con to get an agreement done now? What will happen if the shoulder that had bothered him in 2018 sees more problems? What will happen if the Red Sox extend Dirty on what would be a lucrative deal and it turns out that his left shoulder can not resist in the long run?

And putting aside his 2018 injury, he has come to the point where a serious problem for the southpaw is his inability to be consistent to end the regular season. For most of his career, he will spend most of the year and will essentially have Cy Young locked up if he continues on a track that is very similar to him. But as we approach the months of July, August, and September, the shoulder finally gives way and, on the other hand, we know that it does not look anything like the guy who posted zeros on the bulletin board between mid July and end of July.

Chris Sale's deal will be interesting to watch. If they sign it before the opening ring ceremony of 2019, they are hugely relying on the fact that this shoulder stays healthy for years.

My personal opinion? You risk frenzy of free agents for Dirty in the low season and its put on hold is late 2019. The injury must be monitored and, if it holds up throughout the upcoming season, do everything possible to sign it. But if it collapses again, the team will then have to decide if the end-of-the-year blues is worth your payroll to stretch out all the more.

As I said, slow down at the end of the season is not new to the pitcher.

In 2015, Sale's ERA, from the beginning of the season to the end of June, was 2.87. From early July to early October, he launched a 3.93.

In 2016, his EER from April to the end of June was 2.79. From the beginning of July to the end of the season, it was 3.88.

His EER until end of July 2017 peaked at 2.37. His EER from the beginning of August to the end of September? 4.09.

It's a three-year-old sample and yes, he's often considered one of the most dominant baseball pitchers and I think the Red Sox should sign it and sign it for a long time term. If you manage to solve these problems in the second half of the year, you have a large baseball pitcher at the mound every five days. But why rush and pull the trigger so early if, realistically, you do not have to do it?

That said, I see an agreement reached for an extension this spring.

During his press conference today, Henry admitted that he thought the Red Sox had "blown up" Jon Lester's situation before the 2014 season.

"I think we messed up Jon Lester's signature," said John Henry, owner of Red Sox, on the lack of understanding regarding the spring training before the transfer to Oakland at the midseason.

– Steve Buckley (@BuckinBoston) February 18, 2019

That tells me that Henry is not looking to have another unfortunate situation when he's one of the best talents in the game. I think the team wants it to be done and taken care of now.

Henry and the team must have the same thought process as the fans. When the club let Jon Lester walk, they fell in the famous "five aces" season, which included Clay Buchholz, I suppose, in the throne of the aces. Of course, this time you have David Price, but if you lose Chris Sale, the talent and dominance of your staff diminish considerably.

He is a veteran of the team and I think his contract will be settled and that will not bother other players, such as Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts, who are also thinking about their brand contract. At this point in his career, Sale is a highly respected veteran and I think it would help maintain the attitude of other players looking for long-term agreements.

Sale is a star player, a Cy Young candidate each season and a World Series champion. His resume speaks for itself.

In the end, despite fatigue and shoulder injuries, Sale deserves an important and lucrative contract. He fits perfectly into the atmosphere of Boston, loves the city, the team and, above all, he wins. Do not be surprised to see that this agreement will be concluded in the coming days.

All statistics from fangraphs.com