"Please keep him healthy" "2 healthy Octobers please" - Braves fans raise questions about Chris Sale's longevity as trade is made official
For years, Chris Sale was seen as one of the top pitchers on the planet. However, after years of health issues have left him largely sidelined, fans of his new team have their reservations.
The 34-year old left-hander inked a two-year, $38 million deal with the Atlanta Braves days after being traded from the Boston Red Sox. A two-time AL strikeout champ, Sale finished in the top-5 in Cy Young voting for five consecutive years.
However, on account of spotty health, the six-foot-six ace has only made 31 starts since the end of 2019.
Aware of Sale's relatively fragile state, Atlanta Braves fans took to social media to voice their concerns. Although Sale has been notionally cleared to play, his health record is not something that fans of the best team in the MLB last year like to see.
Last season as a member of the Boston Red Sox, Chris Sale looked more like himself than he had in years.
The Florida-native underwent Tommy John surgery in 2020 and was sidelined by a right rib fracture for most of 2022. However, Sale made 20 starts in 2023, going 6-5 and pitching to a 4.30 ERA.
Some fans have suggested that the Chris Sale deal is taking away from other, more esteemed possibilities.
Max Fried serves as a good example of that. Eligible for his third year of arbitration, the 29-year old Fried finished second in Cy Young voting before pitching to a 2.55 ERA through 14 starts in 2023.
The Braves will be the third team that Chris Sale has pitched for in his career. He was a member of the Chicago White Sox from 2010 to 2016. The largest signing of Sale's career came in 2019, when he signed a five-year contract worth $145 million with the Red Sox.
Chris Sale will be surrounded by excellence in Atlanta
A 2018 World Series winner with the Red Sox, Sale understands the importance of surrounding himself with winners.
In Atlanta, Sale will have the opportunity to pitch alongside some of the strongest arms in the game but also rely on some of baseball's top bats for run support.
Although the questions of his health and longevity are very valid, the Braves obviously feel as though the 34-year old is ready to go. Whether that really turns out to be the case remains to be seen, though.