The story: The Boston Red Sox apparently received some good news about the condition of Chris Sale's elbow Monday with sources telling ESPN's Jeff Passan that Sale is expected to avoid Tommy John surgery. However, Sale will miss the remainder of the regular season as he rehabilitates the injury. Sale visited with Dr. James Andrews Monday and was treated with a platelet-rich plasma injection, the Red Sox said in a statement. Andrews also recommended a period of shutdown from throwing. Sale will be reevaluated by Andrews in six weeks.
The fallout: Avoiding Tommy John surgery has to be considered the best-case scenario, although there is still plenty of uncertainty. Sale's past two outings were some of his best work of 2019, and losing him could turn out to be the coup de grace to Boston's fading playoff chances this year. But Tommy John surgery would have also been an early body blow for the 2020 Red Sox, as they would have been tasked with trying to bounce back from a disappointing season without Sale. Still, there are questions about Sale's long-term future in terms of both health and effectiveness.
Sale's contractual situation: Next year is the first year of Sale's whopper five-year, $145 million deal signed five months ago, before he threw a pitch in the regular season. Evaluators with other teams were greatly surprised the Red Sox didn't wait a little longer to finish the deal to make sure Sale was physically sound. He had a shoulder issue that affected him in a big way down the stretch last year, reducing his velocity and affecting his command, and the perception around the team was that the final relief appearance that he made to close out the World Series -- that last great slider to Manny Machado -- was a case of a competitor giving all he had to give. "He was done after that," one source said.
The big complication: Boston has spent a lot of resources in prospects and dollars, trading for Sale and signing David Price, J.D. Martinez and others, and won a championship last year. But the credit card bill has come due. Price has also been hampered by physical issues, and Nathan Eovaldi, who signed a four-year, $67.5 million deal last winter, has pitched a total of 36⅓ innings this year, with a 6.69 ERA. Over the next three seasons, Boston is committed to pay the trio of Sale (who'll be 31 at the start of next season), Price (who turns 34 later this month) and Eovaldi close to $80 million annually -- and it's very unclear now what return the Red Sox can expect from them. The enormous financial commitment to that group of starting pitchers will inevitably compel Boston's front office to make other very difficult financial decisions.
The biggest possible domino: The payroll crunch, exacerbated by the uncertain rotation investments, could affect Mookie Betts' future in Boston. Betts is making $20 million this season and could get a record-setting arbitration award before next year, on his way to free agency in fall 2020. The Red Sox have tried to sign Betts, without gaining traction, and, as he closes in on his shot at the open market, there is much skepticism within the organization about whether an agreement can be reached.
Executives with other teams expect Boston to dangle Betts in the trade market this winter to at least see what the possible return could be as it considers ways to fill in the gaps in the team's farm system.