Braves sign Chris Sale to two-year, $38 million deal
The Braves reworked Chris Sale’s contract into a two-year extension that also includes a club option for 2026.
The Atlanta Braves announced Thursday that they have agreed to a two-year contract with Chris Sale that is worth $38 million. The deal also includes an $18 million club option for 2026
The Braves acquired Sale in a trade with the Red Sox on December 30 in exchange for infielder Vaughn Grissom. The new deal lowers his 2024 salary to $16 million. He will make $22 million in 2025.
As ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports, Sale essentially gets close to $18 million in guaranteed money in this new deal. His salary for 2025 is guaranteed and there is a new club option for 2026. The Braves received $17 million in the deal with the Red Sox which will more than cover his salary for 2024.
This signifies that the Braves believe Sale is more than a one-year solution to their rotation which is significant given his injury history. He made 20 starts for Boston in 2023 and posted a 4.30 ERA in 102 2⁄3 innings, but had an expected ERA of 3.71 and had a 29.4 percent strikeout rate. Those 102 innings doubled Sale’s innings from the previous two seasons combined.
