Red Sox use 2019 option on lefty Sale
The Red Sox have exercised the 2019 option on left-hander Chris Sale, who’ll earn $15 million in the final season of the five-year contract he signed with the White Sox in 2013. He can become an unrestricted free agent in 2020.
A seven-time All-Star, Sale had three strikeouts in the ninth inning of Game 5 of the World Series to close out Boston’s fourth title in 15 seasons.
Sale, 29, earned his first playoff victory in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the Yankees. He went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 27 regular-season starts in his second season in Boston. Milwaukee departures: Third baseman Mike Moustakas of the Brewers is becoming a free agent again, and so is teammate reliever Joakim Soria.
Moustakas declined a $15 million mutual option. He also rejected a $17.4 million qualifying offer from Kansas City after the 2017 season but was unable to find a long-term deal he liked. He returned to the Royals in mid-March for a one-year contract that included a guaranteed $6.5 million: a $5.5 million salary and $1 million option buyout.
A 30-year-old left-handed hitter, Moustakas hit .256 with eight homers and 33 RBIs in 54 games for Milwaukee, which acquired him from the lastplace Royals on July 27.
Soria declined a $10 million mutual option and gets a $1 million buyout, completing a $25 million, three-year contract to which he agreed with the Royals in December 2016. Go fish: The agent for catcher J.T. Realmuto says his client has told the Marlins he won’t sign a long-term contract, increasing the chance the team will trade another All-Star. Realmuto doesn’t become eligible for free agency until after the 2020 season and would command a considerable return in a trade. Poor ratings: Boston’s fivegame World Series victory over the Dodgers averaged 14,125,000 viewers on Fox, down 25 percent from last year and the fourth-lowest ever.
The Series featuring two large-market teams averaged an 8.3 rating and 17 share, Nielsen said. That was down from a 10.7 rating, 20 share and 18,909,000 average viewers for Houston’s seven-game win over the Dodgers last year and 40 percent from 23,386,000 average viewers for the Cubs’ seven-game win over Cleveland two years ago — Chicago’s first Series title since 1908. Briefly: The Mariners declined former Giants outfielder Denard Span’s $12 million contract option in favor of a $4 million buyout . ... The Rockies declined their $12.5 million option on 31-year-old outfielder Gerardo Parra and will pay a $1.5 million buyout . ... Cleveland picked up its $9.75 million option on righthander Carlos Carrasco and declined its $3 million option on outfielder Brandon Guyer. He’ll get a $250,000 buyout but could re-sign with the Indians . ... The Twins declined options with starting pitcher Ervin Santana and first baseman Logan Morrison. Each will get a $1 million buyout . ... Jason Hammel’s $12 million mutual option was declined by the Royals, who will pay the 36-year-old former A’s right-hander a $2 million buyout.