The biggest acquisition of this offseason to this point has been seven-time All-Star Chris Sale, which was followed by a subsequent extension.
At this point, it appears to be a polarizing move among fans. Some are thrilled about the idea of a talent like Sale already joining a stout rotation. Others are wary of his injury history, which is understandable given how many injuries the Braves pitching staff has suffered in recent years.
I’ve given my thoughts on the acquisition at length over the last week, but how does FanGraphs feel Chris Sale will perform in 2024?
26 starts, 141.0 innings, 3.74 ERA, 3.74 FIP, 10.38 K/9, 2.62 BB/9, 2.8 fWAR
For a guy that the Braves are paying zero dollars for next season, this would be some pretty fantastic production, and it’s very similar to what Charlie Morton has given the Braves over the last three years. FanGraphs’ projections for Sale are slightly better than how he performed last year for the Red Sox, but with a full and healthy offseason this year, I think that should be the bare minimum expectation. As I wrote in a recent article, when healthy, Chris Sale is still one of the best pitchers in the game.
Chris Sale has to be up there with the best pitchers to never win a Cy Young. From 2012-2018, he was among the elite arms in the game and his consistency is that of a future Hall-of-Famer. Sale never finished outside the top six of the AL Cy Young race, leading the league in strikeouts twice and K/9 three times.
For his career, Sale averages 11.1 strikeouts per nine innings. That’s not just good; that’s the best in MLB history. But what’s so remarkable is he’s able to punch opponents out at will without giving up any free passes — 2.1 BB/9 for his career.
Of course, Sale hasn’t been nearly as effective since 2018 in the run prevention department. But even in his 31 starts since 2021, he’s averaged 10.8 strikeouts per nine with 2.5 walks per nine.
Acquiring pitchers is a risky business. Everybody is looking for great ones, creating outrageous bidding wars, whether it is in free agency or the trade market. The acquisition of Chris Sale is a lot less risky than most of the other routes the Braves could have taken. Injuries are always a threat when talking about arms; at least in this deal, the Braves didn’t have to give up several prospects, and they didn’t have to hand out a lucrative contract.
Chris Sale will be one of the best bargains in baseball over the next few years if he can stay healthy.
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The Seattle Mariners reportedly regard Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez as their top trade target. However, the Mariners may have a backup plan in mind. According to Patrick Saunders of the Denver Post, the Mariners are among several teams interested in Colorado Rockies third baseman Ryan McMahon. Although McMahon does not have the type of firepower offensively that Suarez possesses, he has been a solid hitter in his own right. He has shaken off a dreadful start to the season to post a .246/.332/.472 batting line in 280 plate appearances since May 1, hitting 14 homers and 12 doubles. McMahon does have his advantages. He is one of the best defensive third basemen in the game, having saved 17 runs at the hot corner since the start of the 2024 season. Suarez, meanwhile, has cost the Diamondbacks four runs defensively in the same timeframe. While Suarez would be a rental option as he is scheduled for free agency once the season concludes, McMahon is signed through 2027 on a reasonably affordable contract. He is due $16M in 2026 and 2027 over the final two years of the six-year, $70M extension he signed ahead of the 2022 season. The Mariners are also reportedly willing to increase their payroll, making a potential deal easier. The big question is whether or not the Rockies will actually unload players at the deadline. The Rockies are reportedly willing to trade McMahon, although past deadlines make that assertion somewhat dubious. Should Suarez be traded ahead of the July 31 trade deadline, the Rockies may find themselves with the top fallback option at third base.
Several of the high-profile names of the 2024 free-agent class are really struggling to justify the massive contacts they received through the early stages of the 2025 season. Despite the generous contracts, some players have been very underwhelming after getting the big payday. In particular, these players who signed major deals are now playing on new teams or in new roles: Christian Wilkins — four-years, $110M with Raiders, now a free agent Kirk Cousins — four-years, $180M with Falcons, now a backup Bryce Huff — three-years, $51.1M with Eagles, now with 49ers Jonah Jackson — three-years, $51M with Rams, now with Bears Gabe Davis — three-years, $39M with Jaguars, now a free agent Gardner Minshew — two-years, $25M with Raiders, now with Chiefs Chidobe Awuzie — three-years, $36M with Titans, now with Ravens While certain free agents such as Saquon Barkley and Danielle Hunter have delivered massive returns on their contracts to the Eagles and Texans, respectively, these other big signings have taken a completely different trajectory. Whether it is due to injuries, underperformance or not fitting the schemes, these players have not lived up to their deals. Wilkins is a case in point. The Raiders decided to cut him after signing him to a four-year, $110M deal. He struggled with injuries that held him out in 2024, leading to the team and Wilkins disagreeing on how the injury has been handled. Because of this, the two split ways only one year into his contract. Huff only played in 12 games and had a total of 2.5 sacks for Philadelphia after inking a three-year, $51.1M deal. He was traded to the 49ers in June for a 2026 mid-round pick. Cousins might be the most egregious of these deals. The former Vikings QB signed a four-year, $180M, with $100M fully guaranteed. Yet, he only started 14 games in 2024, and now is the backup to Michael Penix Jr. The Falcons now are essentially stuck paying their backup quarterback an annual average of $45M. These signings highlight the risk of free agency. Paying top dollar for past performance runs the risk of overlooking team fit and future value of contracts. Too often, these high-profile veterans who get massive paydays decline very fast or simply fail to mesh with new systems. So far, these investments in 2024 appear to have aged very poorly. Unless these players turn their performances around in 2025, many of the teams will view these moves as a cautionary tale of overspending in free agency.
The Green Bay Packers released star cornerback Jaire Alexander earlier this offseason, which frustrated the fan base because they did so without an obvious solution. Packers fans have been clamoring for the team to sign veteran and former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore, but Green Bay does not appear all that interested in doing so. But you know who could represent a possible replacement for Alexander? Wide receiver Bo Melton. Yes, you read that right: wide receiver Bo Melton. Melton has started Packers training camp as a cornerback, which could ultimately lead to the 26-year-old assuming a major role in Green Bay’s secondary. Why the position switch? Well, Melton was struggling finding playing time in the Packers’ receiving corps as it was. Now, Green Bay added Matthew Golden and Savon Williams into the equation, so the chances of him actually getting on the field as a receiver in 2025 are slim to none. Melton logged just eight catches for 91 yards last season, and in 2024, he finished with 16 receptions for 218 yards and a touchdown. The funny thing is, he actually has shown promise in very limited action, but there is simply no room for him. The Rutgers product seems to want to stay in Green Bay, hence his decision to flip to the other side of the ball. He knows he has no chance to play as a wide out. Why not utilize his athleticism as a cornerback? Of course, this does not necessarily mean that Melton will serve as Alexander’s primary replacement. In fact, it would be pretty concerning if the Packers choose not to bring in another corner between now and the start of the regular season. But hey, maybe Melton will be so impressive in camp that Green Bay will actually give him a look.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are back in action. Latrobe, Pennsylvania, is once again the summer home of the iconic NFL franchise that has captured six Super Bowl titles. There's plenty of excitement around Mike Tomlin's squad heading into the season. Veteran quarterback Aaron Rodgers, now 41, is expected to take command of the offense. Rodgers also has a new weapon in town: former Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf. Metcalf, just 27, brings both speed and experience to Pittsburgh's receiving corps. Despite his age and accolades, he's still young enough to enjoy some video games during downtime at training camp. But it turns out his new quarterback isn’t as interested in joining the action. While speaking with reporter Brooke Pryor, Metcalf shared a lighthearted moment about his training camp suite-mate. "I thought he did. He walked in my room yesterday and he was like, 'oh, you're gaming.' And I was like, 'yeah.' And he just walked out." Metcalf joined the Steelers after six seasons in Seattle. He was selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Ole Miss. Since entering the league, he's made two Pro Bowl appearances and was named second-team All-Pro in 2020. In his final season with the Seahawks, he played in 15 games, catching 66 passes for 992 yards and five touchdowns. Over his career, Metcalf has totaled 6,324 receiving yards and 48 touchdowns. Thursday’s training camp scrimmage didn’t start well for Rodgers, who had his first pass of the day intercepted in front of a large group of fans. Still, Rodgers is determined to finish his career strong. He’ll turn 42 in December and currently sits at 503 career touchdown passes. In his last full season, he threw 28 touchdowns and 11 interceptions for the Jets across 17 games. He’ll now team up with Metcalf and running back Jaylen Warren, who takes over as the starter after Najee Harris left in free agency. Calvin Austin III and Robert Woods are also expected to start at wide receiver. Pittsburgh opens the 2025 season on the road against the New York Jets on September 7.
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