"If the Astros were the only team doing it ... I know for a fact they weren't" - When Chris Sale gave his honest verdict on Astros' cheating scandal

The Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal in 2017 is still considered one of the worst scandals in Major League Baseball history, and several players, including 7x All-Star Chris Sale, have given their verdicts regarding the incident.

In 2022, Sale shared his thoughts on the matter during an appearance on "The Greg Hill Show." He encouraged others to move past the incident. Sale also boldly claimed that Houston was not the only team that had done such a thing.

“If the Astros were the only team doing it, then yeah, give it back. Take it back. I know for a fact they weren’t.”

“All these people pointing fingers, well, hey, take a check in the mirror real quick. Make sure you and your team weren’t doing something. And what they did was wrong, and I'm not trying to condone it, but, shoot, we're talking five years ago now, and we're still talking about this stuff. I'd like to kind of turn the page on it,” he added.

Chris Sale and the Astros share playoff history

Chris Sale shares a significant history with Houston in the playoffs. He was part of the Red Sox team that the Astros defeated 3-1 in the ALDS to advance in 2017. In that series, he gave up nine runs in 9.2 innings.

Sale was also a part of the 2018 Red Sox when Boston defeated Houston in the ALCS and eventually went on to win the World Series.

The Red Sox acquired Chris Sale in 2017. Already a five-time All-Star by then, the Red Sox traded for him while sending Yoan Moncada, Michael Kopech, Luis Alexander Basabe and Victor Diaz to the White Sox.

The Red Sox signed him with a $145 million, five-year extension in 2019 with a no-trade clause.

Sale has now been traded to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for young infielder Vaughn Grissom.

In March, he’ll be 35 years old with 13 years of experience to his name. Despite his recent injury struggles, Sale can still be a solid arm in the Braves’ rotation. Should he manage to remain fit, he could prove to be an excellent option during the playoffs.