The Atlanta Braves have ensured that Chris Sale won’t test free agency after the 2026 season, announcing a new agreement that keeps the veteran left-hander under team control through 2027, with a club option for 2028.
The Braves initially bet on Sale’s upside with a two-year, $38 million deal covering 2024 and 2025, plus a $16 million club option they exercised. This latest extension is his second with Atlanta and the fourth of his career, ensuring he remains off the open market
Under the revised terms, Sale will earn $27 million in 2027. Atlanta can retain him for 2028 at $30 million if they exercise the option. He is set to make $18 million in 2026. The 2027 salary marks the highest single-season commitment the Braves have guaranteed a player.
Sale endured several injury-marred seasons before his move to Atlanta. After starring early in his career with the Chicago White Sox and then excelling in his first two years with the Boston Red Sox (including striking out 308 batters in his debut Boston season and finishing a World Series), he missed the 2020 season following Tommy John surgery and made limited appearances between 2021 and 2023 due to various setbacks, including rib, wrist, and hand fractures. In his final season with Boston, he posted a 4.30 ERA over 102.2 innings.
However, despite missing over two months with fractured ribs last season, Sale was one of the Braves’ bright spots in 2025. He logged 125.2 innings with a 2.58 ERA, 165 strikeouts, and just 32 walks. That performance followed a career-defining 2024 campaign, his first in Atlanta, when he finally captured his first Cy Young Award. Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA and a National League-leading 225 strikeouts across 177.2 innings, earning the ninth All-Star selection of his career. Now entering his 17th major league season, Sale owns a 3.01 career ERA over 2,084 innings, with 2,579 strikeouts and 487 walks.
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