Chris Sale, back from suspension, cuts to the chase: He wants to stay with White Sox

Tom Gatto

Chris Sale, back from suspension, cuts to the chase: He wants to stay with White Sox image

Chris Sale was docked one turn through the White Sox's rotation for destroying team property, specifically throwback uniforms he didn't want to wear. He was back on the mound Thursday night, wearing standard-issue Sox gear.

Afterward, he was unapologetic about what he did Saturday, and he was unequivocal about wanting to stay in Chicago. Rumors circulated even before his slice-and-dice episode that he might be on the move if the sliding White Sox could get enough for him before the Aug. 1 non-waiver deadline.

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"I’d like to stay with this group of guys and make a push for the playoffs because I love those guys,” he told reporters, per CSNChicago.com, after losing to the Cubs 3-1.

The Pale Hose (50-52) aren't looking like contenders, which is why Sale, third baseman Todd Frazier and other veteran Sox have been dumped into the rumor mill. Sale will continue to be pursued by teams that want to add the 27-year-old left-hander, and will live with future outbursts so long as he remains an ace on the mound.

“There’s no doubt my emotions have got me to this point,” Sale told reporters. “I wouldn’t be the same person without them but stuff happens. Move on. We have an unbelievable group of guys in that clubhouse. We’ll just push forward."

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After Thursday's loss, Sale is now 14-4 with a 3.17 ERA and 133 strikeouts in 139 innings this season. His next scheduled start, assuming the Sox don't skip another starter's turn, is Wednesday in Detroit.

Oh, and that's assuming he's still with the White Sox, too. That's a safe assumption, because the Sox's rumored asking price is rightly prohibitive. Then again, if the South Siders want to, um, cut bait, Sale might be in another uniform on that day. The acquiring team just better hope the uniform fits right.

Tom Gatto

Tom Gatto Photo

Tom Gatto joined The Sporting News as a senior editor in 2000 after 12 years at The Herald-News in Passaic, N.J., where he served in a variety of roles including sports editor, and a brief spell at APBNews.com in New York, where he worked as a syndication editor. He is a 1986 graduate of the University of South Carolina.