Do you actually take one of the finest starters in all of baseball and make them a closer? Just how important is that role? In baseball, circa 2018, the emphasis is on the bullpen and build from the back down. The Kansas City Royals in 2015 won a World Series with arguably the most disastrous collection of starters of any championship team.
The issue with Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is wear and tear. This season, two visits to the disabled list for what amounted to a tired shoulder with no apparent structural damage. Sale is nearing 1,500 innings in his seven seasons as a starter, but originally he was in the bullpen.