Chris Sale
SP ATL
Fri 3/15/24 11:51 AM

Sale allowed two runs on three hits and a walk over 3.1 innings in Thursday's Grapefruit League game against Tampa Bay. He struck out six.
EDGE Analysis
After a great beginning to his first spring with Atlanta, Sale has given up five runs over his last seven innings, albeit with a still-sharp 8:2 K:BB. The 34-year-old southpaw has been healthy though, which is the most important thing for a pitcher who hasn't thrown more than 102.2 innings in a season since 2019. Sale is on track for a mid-rotation spot to begin the year, and the reigning NL East champs can afford to go easy on his workload in 2024 given their pitching depth. Expecting more than 25 starts from Sale this season might be asking too much, but he should still be good for plenty of whiffs when he's on the mound after posting a 29.4 percent strikeout rate for Boston last year.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Sun 3/10/24 10:07 AM

Sale allowed three runs on four hits and a walk over 3.2 innings in Saturday's Grapefruit League game against the Orioles. He struck out two.
EDGE Analysis
The veteran lefty came into the game with a 0.00 ERA through his first two spring outings, but a Baltimore lineup that featured only two likely regulars in Adley Rutschman and Jordan Westburg stung Sale for three hits and a walk in the second inning, with a Coby Mayo double being the biggest blow. Sale still has an 11:3 K:BB through 8.1 Grapefruit League innings, and staying healthy remains his most important goal ahead of Opening Day.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Mon 3/4/24 12:11 PM

Sale gave up three hits and two walks over 2.2 scoreless innings in Sunday's Grapefruit League game against the Phillies. He struck out five while also throwing a wild pitch.
EDGE Analysis
That's nine Ks and a 0.00 ERA in 4.2 innings for Sale as he gets ready for his first campaign with Atlanta. The 34-year-old lefty hasn't made 25 starts in a season since 2019, and injuries have left his numbers somewhat volatile since he crossed over into his 30s, but he appears to be 100 percent healthy in camp and could be poised for a rebound. At the very least, he could take a run at double-digit wins for the first time since 2018 with one of the most potent offenses in MLB at his back.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Wed 2/28/24 12:17 PM

Sale struck out four batters over two perfect innings in Tuesday's Grapefruit League game against the Pirates.
EDGE Analysis
The veteran southpaw fired 16 of 25 pitches for strikes and overpowered a lineup that likely featured most of Pittsburgh's Opening Day starters, with his strikeout victims including Oneil Cruz and Yasmani Grandal. Sale said at the beginning of camp that he was coming off his healthiest offseason in years, offering some optimism that he can still deliver dominant results when he's on the mound, but the 34-year-old hasn't thrown at least 150 innings in a season since 2018.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Sun 2/18/24 1:25 PM

Sale indicated Saturday that he'd been completely healthy this offseason for the first time since 2018, David O'Brien of The Athletic reports.
EDGE Analysis
The 34-year-old left-hander has dealt with a litany of injuries in the years since, and his typical winter during that time involved rehabbing from his latest issue rather than focusing on the upcoming campaign. A clean start to 2024 doesn't guarantee that Sale will be able to take 30-plus turns in the rotation for Atlanta, of course, but it does offer some reason for optimism that he'll top the 102.2 innings he threw for Boston last year. Sale still flashes premium stuff, posting a 29.4 percent strikeout rate last season with a 6.8 percent walk rate, and his 33.6 percent chase rate was in the 92nd percentile. If he can handle a bigger workload, he could produce 200 strikeouts for the first time since 2019.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Thu 1/4/24 10:22 AM

Sale signed a two-year, $38 million contract with Atlanta on Thursday.
EDGE Analysis
The deal also includes an $18 million club option for 2026. Sale had been slated to earn $27.5 million in 2024, but the reworked deal will drop his salary to $16 million for the upcoming season while adding a $22 million salary for 2025. Boston is covering $17 million, so Atlanta will be responsible for just $21 million over two years. The left-hander recently waived his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a trade from the Red Sox that sent Vaughn Grissom to Boston. The 102.2 innings Sale threw in 2023 more than doubled his total across the previous three seasons, and he will remain a major health question mark in 2024. He still boasted a 29.4 percent strikeout rate, though, and finished with a 2.88 ERA in September.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Sat 12/30/23 2:28 PM

The Red Sox traded Sale to Atlanta on Saturday in exchange for Vaughn Grissom, Jeff Passan of ESPN.com reports.
EDGE Analysis
Boston will also send $17 million to Atlanta in order to cover some of the $27.5 million Sale is owed this season, per Alex Speier of The Boston Globe. Sale put up a 4.30 ERA and 1.13 WHIP across 102.2 frames last season with Boston and missed two months with a shoulder injury, but he finished the year strong, allowing eight earned runs over 25 innings across five starts in September.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Fri 9/29/23 2:14 AM

Sale (6-5) took the loss Thursday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over five innings against the Orioles. He struck out two.
EDGE Analysis
While Sale logged his fewest strikeouts in 15 starts, he limited the Orioles to just one run, which came via an Anthony Santander homer in the first. The veteran southpaw showed signs of encouragement in 2023 after making just 11 starts in the last two years, going 102 innings over 20 appearances with the Red Sox this season. He finished the campaign strongly, allowing one or no runs in four of his final five starts.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Sat 9/23/23 10:17 AM

Sale came away with a no-decision in Friday's 3-2 win over the White Sox, allowing three hits and a walk over five scoreless innings. He struck out seven.
EDGE Analysis
The veteran southpaw put together another strong outing, but Sale left the mound in line for his fifth loss of the year before Boston rallied in the eighth inning. Since returning from the IL in mid-August, he has a 4.19 ERA, 1.09 WHIP and 52:13 K:BB through 38.2 innings, but just one win in eight starts to show for it. Sale figures to take the mound one more time in 2023, on the road next week in Baltimore.

Chris Sale
SP ATL
Sun 9/17/23 8:49 AM

Sale did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing one run on two hits and two walks over six innings against Toronto. He struck out 10.
EDGE Analysis
Sale shut down the Blue Jays for most of the afternoon and didn't allow a run until Vladimir Guerrero took him deep for a solo shot to lead off the bottom of the seventh. It was the lefty's first start since May 20 in which he went at least six innings, and it marked his third time this season with 10 or more strikeouts. Sale has now given up two or fewer runs in eight of his last 11 starts and has surrendered only two hits in two of his last three. On the downside, he's also issued two walks in four consecutive outings.