CHICAGO — White Sox general manager Rick Hahn made one point clear Sunday as he discussed the future of talented but turbulent left-hander Chris Sale.
Perhaps equipment was shredded, but the team’s relationship with the ace pitcher was not frayed.
“Part of what makes Chris great, part of what makes him elite, is his passion and commitment,” Hahn said. “We’ve seen that sometimes spill out from between the white lines. Yesterday was one of those instances, and it unfortunately led to events that required discipline.”
The White Sox suspended Sale for five days after a bizarre pregame incident Saturday in which he reportedly cut throwback uniforms because he thought they were uncomfortable. Sale was scratched from his start and sent home, and Sunday the team announced his suspension.
Sale is eligible to return Thursday — four days before the trade deadline.
Could a contender such as the Texas Rangers try to swoop in and pry the disgruntled southpaw from the South Side? Yes, absolutely.
Are the White Sox more willing to move their front-line starter? No, not necessarily.
Hahn reiterated that the White Sox roster included no “untouchables” at the trade deadline, but he implied that severed jerseys would not result in a slashed price tag. Sale was not with the team Sunday morning.
“The actions or behaviors of the last 24 hours does not change in any aspect, any respect, our belief that Chris Sale can help this club win a championship and win multiple championships,” Hahn said. “It does not move the needle one iota in terms of his value to this club (or) his value to any other club that may be interested in his services, or the likelihood of him being moved or kept whatsoever. None of that stuff is impacted at all by these events …
“As we talked about at the start of this homestand before any of this was on the table, we have a responsibility to listen on all our players and understand their value. It doesn’t mean we have an obligation to take what we feel is less than appropriate value or do what we feel is (not) in the best long-term interest of the club.”
In other words, don’t expect the White Sox to accept 50 cents on the dollar because of Sale’s tantrum.
At 14-3 with a 3.18 ERA, Sale is one of the frontrunners for the American League Cy Young Award. He is 27 years old and has a team-friendly contract that calls for him to be paid $12 million in 2017 along with team options of $12.5 million in 2018 and $15 million in 2019.
Veteran teammates such as James Shields and Todd Frazier spoke in support of Sale.
“He’s one of the better teammates I’ve been around,” Shields said. “We go through a lot of different scenarios in our career, and we always try to have each other’s back. We’re a family. We’re with each other 181 days a year. It’s like a brotherhood in here. We’re always on his side.”
Hahn said Sale stood by his decision to destroy team equipment during a 30-minute conversation. The tone of the discussion was “calm and rational,” Hahn said, and Sale never requested a trade despite disagreeing with management’s perspective on the uniforms.
“At no point did he express the desire not to be a Chicago White Sox,” Hahn said.
Hahn said he didn’t think Sale’s outburst stemmed from frustration at being mentioned in trade talks.
Sale is no stranger to controversy with the front office. In March, he exchanged words with executive vice president Ken Williams after Adam LaRoche’s abrupt retirement. LaRoche quit because the team asked him to limit the time his son, Drake, spent in the clubhouse.
In protest, Sale hung Adam LaRoche’s jersey and Drake LaRoche’s jersey in his locker.
“This isn’t us rebelling against rules,” Sale told reporters at spring training. “This is us rebelling against BS.”
Manager Robin Ventura declined to say whether Sale would need to apologize to his teammates.