"I was very appreciative of what the White Sox did for me," Sale said. "I was 22 years old and had a young son who just turned nine years old today. Being able to play baseball in this city for (seven) years, making good money doing it, I appreciated very much. I will never forget what they did for me and my family. I would do the same thing again tomorrow."
The trade of Sale to the Red Sox in December 2016 marked the start of the White Sox's rebuild. Each team appears to have received what it wanted in the deal. The White Sox are leaning on third baseman Yoan Moncada and currently injured right-hander Michael Kopech to be young building blocks for their future. The Red Sox already accomplished what they set out to do in acquiring Sale -- win the World Series, which they did against the Dodgers last fall, with Sale on the mound to clinch it.
"It was awesome," Sale said. "I got to live out basically everybody's dream. I got to make the last pitch in the last game and got to celebrate a championship with my teammates and family. That is what you sign up to play this game for. On that mound, I kept telling myself I got a four-run lead and three outs to get, don't mess it up."
Sale signed a five-year, $145-million extension with the Red Sox in March. Now 30, he has matured as a person. Sale remains passionate, but the impulsive youngster who once challenged the entire Royals team to a fight and was sent home by his manager following an outburst is a thought of the past.
"I have learned to use it a little better and harness it," Sale said of his past impulsive outbursts. "I will be the first to admit when I was younger I would get off of the rail sometimes, and it wasn't pretty. I know that and everybody knows that. Making mistakes makes you a better person if you learn from it. I am not getting soft on you though."
Sale is thankful for how his baseball journey has played out.
"I cannot sit here and say one bad thing about my Major League Baseball experience," Sale said. "If you got something bad to say about being a Major League Baseball player, then you are not doing it right. We had some tough seasons (in Chicago). We (Boston) are having a tough start here this year. This is still the best job on the planet. I still have that desire and passion to play. When that goes, it will be time to play more golf and hang with the family more."
Sale believes he found the right match in playing in Boston, a perennial playoff and championship contender. The White Sox never reached the playoffs in Sale's time in Chicago.
"It's a fun experience to play in front of a packed house," Sale said of Fenway Park. "There is a buzz going around. Boston fans, they are intense. I appreciate that because the way they act as fans is the way I play."