Around the MLB: Sale goes to Boston in deal for prospects

The Boston Red Sox acquired left-hander Chris Sale from the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday for a package of four prospects.

“The ability to get a Chris Sale doesn’t come along very often,” said Dave Dombrowski, president of baseball operations for the Red Sox.

Sale, 27, was an All-Star in each of the last five seasons, finishing high in Cy Young Award voting every time.

To get Sale, Boston traded highly touted third baseman Yoan Moncada, along with pitchers Michael Kopech and Victor Diaz, and outfielder Luis Basabe.

A few hours earlier, Boston got setup man Tyler Thornburg from the Milwaukee Brewers for a package that included infielder Travis Shaw.

Sale was 17-10 with a 3.34 earned-run average and 233 strikeouts last season.

The Red Sox signed Moncada in March 2015 for a $31.5-million bonus, the largest for an amateur player, and paid $31.5 million in tax.

For that $63 million, the 21-year-old played eight games in the majors, all this year, and batted .211 with one run batted in. He hit .294 with 15 home runs in the mid-minors.

Kopech, 20, was the 33rd overall pick in the 2014 amateur draft. The right-hander was 4-1 with a 2.08 ERA as a starter in Class A.

Basabe, 20, hit .264 with 53 RBIs in Class A. Diaz, a 22-year-old right-hander, was 2-5 with a 3.88 ERA in relief in Class A.

The 28-year-old Thornburg will become Boston’s eighth-inning guy, setting up closer Craig Kimbrel.

Thornburg was 8-5 with 13 saves and a 2.15 ERA in 67 games for the Brewers, striking out 90 in 67 innings.

Shaw, 26, hit .242 with 16 home runs and 71 RBIs last season.

He mostly played third base.

Benoit, Phillies finalize deal

Right-hander reliever Joaquin Benoit and the Philadelphia Phillies finalized a $7.5-million, one-year contract, part of the team’s efforts to rebuild its bullpen.

Benoit, 39, has had an ERA under 3.00 for six of the last seven years.

He was 3-1 with a 2.81 ERA last season, including a 0.38 ERA after the Toronto Blue Jays acquired him from Seattle in July for reliever Drew Storen.

Benoit averaged 9.75 strikeouts per nine innings.