BOSTON - Chris Sale has reached historic heights in his professional career. However, the gap has clearly been filled in the past few years.
As a healthy pitcher entering spring training for the first time since 2019, Sale is happy to get the most basic experience in Fort Myers.
"[Alex Cora] used to say, 'Do you want to go today or here? And I said I've been special for a while. I want to be one of the guys today' "So it's nice to be in the mix, normal, training, my races, PFP in one day. , not just going to work. It's funny."
Sale, 33, has been plagued by injuries over the past year, including a preseason sprain, a broken little finger in July and a broken wrist in a cycling accident. Only two starts after nine a year ago and zero in 2020 due to Tommy John surgery.
All of this comes after he signed a five-year, $145 million contract to stay with the Red Sox. Sale previously spoke about killing him as a waste of time, and he echoed those sentiments on Wednesday.
“I was given this [contract] to do a job and I didn't do it. You know me so well it's eating me alive,” said Sal. “So I wouldn't say I try to live off the dollar. I try to live as much as I can."
On the plus side, Saleh feels good now that spring training is open to pitchers and receivers, and he said he's ready to work as hard as the team will let him. He also shared that he learned to put the right perspective to put his later years in context.
“I like to think I'm an adult now. Well, it's just a perspective,” Sal said. “I come back to it a lot. It's just perspective. We have seen what has happened in the world in the last three years, on the same timeline as me. Take, even what happened in my community a few months ago [with Hurricane Yen]. You wrote an article about it the other day. I appreciate that. But yes, people lost their homes. I cut a rose, I broke my wrist. I could spend 10 months in a Russian prison. - How much fun would that be? So perspective, man. Opinion: Nothing will change what happened, but hopefully something will change in the future.
While the overhaul helps Sale mentally, his feelings about the 2023 season are his physical performance. And when he gets that chance, Sale is ready to go back to being the pitcher he was before all the injuries.
"Give me the ball, I'll kick it until I get it back," Sal eagerly accepted his charge. “Give me the ball and I'll compete until you tell me to. And then I can give you a little treat on the way. But that's my mindset now."