Let’s talk about the Chris Sale trade

During the summer debates about the merit (or lack thereof) of Yoán Moncada, and especially now that our sainted starter savior, Michael Kopech, made the majors and has now been yanked from them with Tommy John surgery, it seems a smart time to see just what it will take to “win” the Chris Sale trade.

Let’s look at both sheer WAR and surplus value when evaluating the deal, as well as go a couple different directions with projections of the two principal young players the Chicago White Sox received for Sale.

Obviously, Sale is the prize of the trade, a win-now ace and future Hall-of-Famer, signed to a team-friendly contract to boot. In his first year with the Boston Red Sox, Sale delivered 7.7…