Overview
- Atlanta finalized a one-year extension paying Chris Sale $27 million for 2027 with a $30 million club option for 2028, taking him out of the 2026 free-agent class.
- Team officials confirmed the deal Tuesday after exercising his 2026 option in November, continuing a run that began with his 2023 trade from Boston.
- The move follows spring injuries to young starters Spencer Schwellenbach and Hurston Waldrep, reinforcing rotation stability behind the veteran ace.
- Sale’s $27 million guarantee represents the highest single-season salary the Braves have committed to a player, positioning him as their top earner in 2027.
- Sale, the 2024 NL Cy Young winner, posted a 2.58 ERA with 165 strikeouts in 125.2 innings in 2025, and said talks were brief as both sides "met in the middle."