Sale calls first impression of Red Sox fanbase 'incredible'

Chris Sale didn't have to wait long for a warm welcome from Boston Red Sox fans.

After being officially introduced on Friday, Sale was overwhelmed by the reception he received from the Red Sox faithful at the team's annual Winter Weekend convention.

"You're kind of blown away," Sale told Ian Browne of MLB.com. "This is my first time being able to interact with the new fans and this fanbase. For that to be my first impression, it's incredible."

After being acquired from the Chicago White Sox on Dec. 6 in exchange for a litany of prospects, including top prospect Yoan Moncada and No. 2 pitching prospect Michael Kopech, Sale believes the energy produced by Red Sox fans will help fuel him and the team heading into the coming season.

"They've got a lot of fans," Sale said. "It's great. It's a passion. You can feel it. Taking pictures with people today, signing autographs, you see how happy they are and how energetic they are about sports and about this team. You can't help but to feed off that and to just have a certain energy going into the season with all that happening and being around you. It makes me a little more comfortable about the transition."