NATIONAL HARBOR, Md. — Moments like this cold, raw, rainy afternoon here, with the baseball world gathered under one convention center roof, are exactly why the Boston Red Sox hired Dave Dombrowski two summers ago.
Chris Sale was up for auction, the Chicago White Sox having decided on a major remodel rather than a simple rearranging of their furniture. The Washington Nationals were hot in pursuit, so hot that several reports late Monday night had them nearing a deal. The Houston Astros were in on the chase. So, too, were others.
Chris Sale? Game-changer, the biggest on the market.