The Atlanta Braves and Chris Sale agreed to a contract extension on Tuesday. The deal is worth $27 million for 2027 and includes a 2028 $30 million club option. The 36-year-old is still one of the best pitchers in MLB and now he is set to lead the Braves' rotation past the 2026 season. After the contract extension was announced, Sale spoke to reporters about the deal.
“We made our pitch, they made their pitch, and then we kind of met in the middle,” Sale said, via Chad Bishop of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “I feel like this was, like, a week, relatively easy. Just very thankful for it, though.”
Sale likely would have been one of the most popular free agents next offseason. Although he is 36 years old, the southpaw has continued to pitch at a high level. He won the National League Cy Young in 2024. He was limited to 21 outings in 2025, but Sale still recorded a 2.58 ERA.
Instead of testing free agency next offseason, Sale will stay in Atlanta through at least the 2027 campaign. With the way Sale is performing, he could probably continue pitching for years to come. There is a chance that this contract extension means he will finish his career in Atlanta, however.
The Braves certainly would not have a problem with that. Sale has become their clear ace. Atlanta is hoping to return to the postseason in 2026 after a difficult 2025 season, and Sale's performance will go a long way toward determining if the ball club ends up playing meaningful baseball in October.
