There aren’t many trades in MLB history that will go down as more one-sided than the Atlanta Braves’ acquisition of Chris Sale a couple of offseasons ago.
At the time, Sale — for all his talent — hadn’t been able to stay healthy in half a decade. The Red Sox considered him a lost cause and shipped him to Atlanta for Vaughn Grissom. Since then, all Sale has done is post a 2.46 ERA over 303.1 innings and win his first NL Cy Young Award in 2024.
Grissom, meanwhile, appeared in just 31 games for Boston… and that’s all he’ll ever play for the Red Sox, with ESPN’s Jeff Passan reporting that the 24-year-old infielder has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels.
The Los Angeles Angels are acquiring infielder Vaughn Grissom in a trade with the Boston Red Sox, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 9, 2025
What makes the trade even more lopsided is the fact the Red Sox also sent over $17 million in the trade. They quite literally paid all of Chris Sale’s salary last season so he could win the Cy Young award for another team.
As far as Vaughn Grissom, it’s been a tough go for him since the deal. He struggled initially and dealt with several minor injuries. However, this is still a really talented player that’s only 24 years old. A change of scenery was desperately needed and could ultimately get his career back on track. There should be no shortage of opportunities for him with the Angels.
—
Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire