There was a heavy media presence around the Atlanta Braves during this first week of Spring Training, meaning there are a lot of players available. Earlier today, Alex Anthopoulos met with the media, and you can read those highlights here.
Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale also made the media rounds and discussed a number of topics, two of which stood out the most.
First, Sale said he would never challenge a pitch with MLB’s ABS system. Sale said he doesn’t want to take away a challenge and has dealt with missed pitches his entire career, stating he would leave it up to his catcher if the backstop wants to challenge a pitch. The full video of his response is embedded below.
Second, and perhaps more notable, Sale discussed his impending free agency, noting that he has never previously been in the position of being unsure of where he will play next season during his 15-year big league career.
When asked in a follow-up question if he would like to retire as a Braves, he said he would like to do so, noting that Atlanta gave him a chance and helped get his career back on track.
You can watch his full commentary in the embed below.
When he was on the mound, Sale was arguably the best pitcher in the National League with the Braves. Although he will pitch most of the 2026 season at age 37, Sale has amassed more than 10 fWAR during his two seasons with Atlanta, striking out more than 32 percent of the batters he faced.
He won the 2024 National League Cy Young and if he hadn’t been diving for a ball midway through the season due to the broken rib, he probably would have at least finished in the top five for the 2025 award.
The Braves need Chris Sale to stay healthy and continue to throw like the future Hall of Famer will likely compete this season. Whether or not the Braves offer him an extension prior to free agency will be an interesting item to watch as the year progresses.
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