The Braves and lefties Chris Sale have agreed to a new contract that will pay him $38 million over the next two years. He will make $16 million in 2024 and $22 million in 2025, and there is also an $18 million club option for 2026. The sale was already in contract on a contract extension , which he previously signed with the Red Sox, but this will override that.
He was acquired by the Red Sox last week in a trade that shipped Vaughn Grissom to Boston. The Sox also paid $17 million to cover the remainder of Sales' contract, a five-year, $145 million extension that he and the Red Sox signed in 2019. Under that deal, Sale was scheduled to make $27.5 million in 2024, although $10 million of that was deferred to 15 years in the future. With the $17 million that came from the Sox, Atlanta would only pay him $500,000. There was also a club option worth $20 million for 2025.
As part of this new deal, Sales' salary of $16 million will be fairly close to the non-deferred money he planned to make in 2024. He will no longer have that $10 million deferred payment later, but he will have $22 million registered for the 2025 season. This gives him additional security in case further health problems arise this year. Sale pitched fewer than 50 innings total in 2020–2022, primarily due to Tommy John surgery but also other ailments. Last year he was able to throw 102 2/3 frames, but a stress reaction in his shoulder blade kept him out of action for over two months. Further health issues might have made the club a little hesitant to pick up the 2025 option, but Sale has now secured a significant salary for next year.
For Atlanta, this is a vote of confidence in the soon-to-be 35-year-old. They could have simply signed Sale for 2024 and then walked away if things didn't go well, with the club option to keep him if he had a strong campaign for his new club. But they have now committed to a minimum two-year sale, with the club option now running until 2026. As mentioned, Sale hasn't been completely healthy over the last four years and even had some issues before that. Due to shoulder and elbow problems, he was able to pitch around 150 innings in 2018 and 2019, meaning his last fully healthy season was 2017.
At the time, Sale was one of the best pitchers in the league, finishing the 2017 season with a 2.90 ERA. Last year he wasn't quite as dominant with a 4.30 at the end of the season. The peripherals were slightly better, however, with a 29.4% strikeout rate and 6.8% walk rate, both of which were strong.
Despite this pretty good recovery season, it's obviously a gamble to bet on a pitcher injured so badly that he's suspended for his age 35 and 36 seasons. But the club has considerable rotation uncertainty going forward. Max Fried is entering his last year as club leader Charlie Morton is also a year away from free agency. Morton has flirted with retirement before and is now entering his age-40 season, making it possible he won't be back in 2025.
Before this deal, there was also the possibility of an exit depending on the outcome of the club's option. Since he is now under contract for 2025, he can also be added to next year's rotation Spencer Strider. The club still needs to fill out the rest of the rotation, but perhaps there are internal options like Bryce Elder, AJ Smith Shawver And Hurston Forest Rep have made progress by then.
The competition balance tax must also be taken into account. Under the current collective bargaining agreement, a player's CBT hit is recalculated when he is traded to reflect what remains in the contract. That means that prior to this deal, Sale took a $27.5 million CBT hit, of which the Sox had to absorb $17 million. But that amount will now drop to $19 million, leaving just $2 million in Atlanta's CBT account this year, but $19 million next year. Today, the club's CBT value was $276 million, according to Roster Resource. This compares to the third tax threshold of $277 million, which is a notable limit to cross. Clubs that exceed the third threshold will receive a top pick moved back 10 places in the next draft, in addition to an increased tax rate. Lowering Sale's CBT hit gives the club a bit more room to make further moves now or over the course of the season.
Ultimately, it's a pact that works for both sides. Atlanta gets a little more luxury tax breathing room and hopefully better rotation prospects in 2025 and maybe even 2026. The sale, meanwhile, locks in some future revenue to protect against lingering health issues.