“I thought it was my last year” – Chris Sale drops bombshell on his offseason mindset before Braves trade & Cy Young season
Chris Sale was named the 2024 National League Cy Young Award winner, but he almost didn't even suit up for that season. Sale has had a long Major League Baseball career, but injuries almost forced him to retire before the dominant 2024 season.
Sale appeared on the "Baseball Isn't Boring" podcast on Wednesday and opened up about his career, and his retirement thoughts. A trade to the Atlanta Braves resurrected his career, and he is heading into 2025 as one of the best starting pitchers in baseball.
"I thought that it was probably going to be my last year so I went into that offseason, kind of, on a mission. 'I got one more year left, let's put everything I have into it.'" -Sale on his mindset heading into 2024 (5:20)
Sale shocked host Rob Bradford when he opened up about his mindset of heading into the 2024 season. Pitching for the Boston Red Sox was not working out for Chris Sale, but he was able to get a new life with the Atlanta Braves.
"Obviously, getting traded halfway through that offseason, you know, sparked a light underneath me, going to a new team. They put a lot of faith in you... There was some excitement and this team was stacked." - The left-handed pitcher on trade to Atlanta.
Chris Sale used "aggressive" mindset to help win 2024 Cy Young award
It was not surprising that Chris Sale was named National League Cy Young Award winner in 2024 after he was dominant on the mound all season. He was not a top pick to even contend for that award in the preseason and even Chris Sale acknowledged he surprised himself.
Speaking on the "Foul Territory" podcast on Nov. 21, Sale spoke about his approach that allowed him to surprise everyone to win the Cy Young.
"I would say I wasn't expecting to do this right? To win a Cy young Award, that was probably a little bit aggressive, but I had confidence in myself. I just knew I needed to be healthy. I know what I can do when I'm healthy."
Sale will now be looking to have a repeat performance on the mound during the 2025 season for the Atlanta Braves. He is still getting closer to retirement, but those thoughts have been put on hold.