Perhaps a sign that the two teams could seriously discuss a deal involving ace Chris Sale, the Chicago White Sox had scouts watching the Boston Red Sox's Double-A squad on Thursday night.

On off chance either team gets serious about Chris Sale, White Sox scouted #RedSox Double-A club last night (Moncada, Benintendi, Dubon,etc) — Scott Lauber (@ScottLauber) July 29, 2016

Scott Lauber's take: As much as any team, the Red Sox have the assets -- at the big-league level and in the minors -- to pull off a Hershel Walker-style blockbuster for Sale. What's less clear is whether they actually have the appetite for it. Any deal almost certainly would start with top prospect Yoan Moncada, considered by most talent evaluators to be a future All-Star and recently compared by Double-A Portland manager Carlos Febles to a young Carlos Beltran. The Red Sox also likely would have to include players off the big-league roster (someone like catcher-left fielder Blake Swihart, for instance) and maybe top pitching prospect Michael Kopech.

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Because of the hefty price, it still seems more likely than not that Sale stays in Chicago -- at least for now. But as Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said this week, teams' motivations tend to change as the deadline creeps closer. And just in case the Red Sox want to get serious, it appears the White Sox are doing their homework on Boston's farm system.