The Atlanta Braves’ front office just made a $27 million decision that they see as logical, but a significant portion of the fanbase is already questioning the high-stakes gamble on an aging, injury-prone pitcher.

The Atlanta Braves offered a one-year, $27M extension to reserve their elite pitcher, Chris Sale. The fear of a near-certain lockout makes it a logical decision for both sides. But the injury-prone nature of the 36-year-old is concerning fans.

Sale isn’t the 2024 Cy Young masterpiece anymore, who made the Braves-Red Sox trade look like an absolute steal. Yet, a 32.2% chase value and a 90-above fastball velocity still put him in the elite class. 

There were some issues with his velocity initially in the last season, though. But Chris Sale stabilized it and grabbed his 9th All-Star.

After missing around 2 months due to his broken ribcage, the pitcher impressively managed a 4.0 WAR last season.

Understandably, the reason for this extension goes beyond Sale’s will to retire at Atlanta.

He let his 25-8 record tell the tale of his late-career resurgence. Despite his injury, he seemed like too good an option to pass up for the Braves. 

Alex Anthopoulos and co. had to become proactive and play it smart before Chris Sale hit free agency at the end of 2026. And Jeff Passan has detailed the deal in his recent report on X.

“Nine-time All-Star Chris Sale and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a one-year, $27 million contract extension that includes a club option for $30 million in 2028.” 

The deal perfectly aids Atlanta in protecting its continuity, keeping the core intact, while having a veteran elite pitcher without any long-term commitment. The club option keeps them in control in case Sale’s performance dips. 

Meanwhile, Sale gained massive security till the end of 2027, when he will be 38. He has avoided the uncertainties of a free market. And he also managed to keep the hopes of yet another extension alive, considering he remains injury-free.

A looming MLB lockout has played a significant role in this extension.

With the CBA expiring on December 1, trades, free agency, and games might halt for an unspecified period. The wounds of the 99-day shutdown in the 2021-22 session are still fresh. The union, heavily opposing the salary cap demands, has forced the team owners to create a war chest. Amid all that, the $27M Chris Sale extension allows Atlanta to steer clear of the risk of waiting out the entire chaos to secure desired recruits.

Even then, not all fans are clapping to their bold move. 

Braves’ faithful divided over Chris Sale extension

The biggest concern is obviously Sale being prone to injury, as one fan wrote, “glass man signs for 27 M’s.” Sale has an extensive injury history since 2018, primarily affecting his throwing arm and resulting in limited play. Left shoulder inflammation in 2018; elbow inflammation in 2019, ending his season in August; Then 2020 brought in pneumonia in February, followed by Tommy John surgery in March; COVID-19 positive in 2021; the next season is termed as a ‘freak’ injury year for Sale, as it came with stress fracture in his ribs (March), broken left pinkie finger (July), and a broken right wrist from a bike accident (August). 

In 2023, Chris Sale was sidelined for 71 days from June due to a left shoulder injury. Owing to back spasms, he was sidelined late in the 2024 season. In 2025, Sale was limited to 20 starts (125 2/3 innings) due to a fractured left rib cage suffered in June, which sidelined him for approximately two months. So, the entire deal becomes moot if Sale faces another injury scare and misses too many games. 

Then, another criticized the management for spending an unreasonable amount of money on a soon-to-retire pitcher: “$27M for a 36-year-old pitcher?” Chris turns 37 this March, and his degradation in 2025 was already visible.

Some fans are still unhappy with the way Atlanta handled the Max Fried situation. “So we can pay Sale $27 and $30M but can’t pay max fried $27M?” read another comment leaning towards a 32-yo elite pitcher over Chris. Fried had a stellar season with the Yankees last year, a stellar debut with the New York Yankees, finishing 19-5 with a 2.86 ERA across 32 starts, marking his third All-Star appearance. He led MLB in wins (19) and established career highs in innings pitched (195.1) and strikeouts (189), earning 2025 All-MLB First Team honors.

Yet, some fans are taking the Sale deal in a positive way, supporting the decision and hoping the situation will improve this year. “Braves absolutely fleeced the Red Sox in that trade,” one emphasized how good a steal Sale was. 

Another fan praised the club for the bold decision, commenting, “$27M for one more year and a $30M club option? Atlanta betting on greatness.” This shows that the proactive strategy might not have been lost to all the Atlanta fans.

The Braves made a calculated decision considering the pitcher’s current form and the possible lockdown scenario. 2018 World Series with Red Sox, then an injury comeback, followed by a Cy Young, and now this extension – Chris Sale is on a fairytale journey. The only thing we can hope for now is that MLB sorts out the impending labor stoppage and Sale avoids any major injury.