Reflecting on Braves Chris Sale Trade Two Years Later

It’s Dec. 30, 2023. Most are getting ready for their New Year's Eve parties to cap off the holiday season. In the background, the Atlanta Braves were busy preparing a splash with the Boston Red Sox. They had been pushing to add a starter for months, and their sights turned to Chris Sale. 

Both sides hammered out the details, a no-trade clause was waived, and he was heading south. Sale was heading to Atlanta, along with $17 million, in exchange for infielder prospect Vaughn Grissom. 

Grissom was a promising prospect. Sale was viewed as washed up and was entering his age-35 season. The move, naturally, was met with an array of responses, most leaning negative. Some gave the benefit of the doubt because the Braves sometimes just fix players. Perhaps that happens, but it would be some time before we’d know for sure. 

Through Sale’s first four starts, the acquisition was looking OK. He had a 4.38 ERA, but he was getting innings under his belt. The camp that wasn’t happy about the move was probably feeling validated in their thoughts. Sure enough, a switch was about to flip, putting any expectations on its head. 

Sale won pitcher of the month in May, pitching to an 0.83 ERA. It wasn’t just a flash in the pan. He went on to win the Cy Young Award, received his eighth All-Star appearance, was a member of the All-MLB Team and fittingly won the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award. While he suffered an injury over the summer, he arguably repeated his success in 2025. 

He was named an All-Star again, as well as a finalist for the All-MLB Team. The Braves had an easy decision to make when they picked up his club option for the 2026 season. 

Meanwhile, the Red Sox have parted ways with Grissom. They traded him to the Angels earlier this month. There is a chance to spin this for the Red Sox. If Isiah Jackson pans out in the long run, then they can find some type of consolation. Right now, the Braves are the clear winners of the trade. 

This is one of those trades that likely doesn’t work out for the Braves nine out of 10 times. Usually, when a pitcher struggles with health and a lack of success, it’s not getting corrected in his mid-30s. If they do at all, it typically lasts one more year. One example of who comes to mind in that sense was RA Dickey, who won the Cy Young out of nowhere at age 37. 

But Sale found a way to keep it going. That’s what’s most impressive. He went from being a shell of his former self to being back on track for Cooperstown. 

In hindsight, and 2025 was no exception, some of his injuries were bad luck. He had a bike accident, and he’s had rib injuries and illnesses. For those wondering, the belly button ring is irrelevant to this series of unfortunate events. 

Once he caught a break from a health perspective, he was able to get his act together and be his old self. The result has been one of the better comeback stories in recent memory. 

What’s fascinating about his story is that it’s not even over. There is at least one more season left to go. As a testament to his comeback, it can’t be assumed yet that this is it. He was originally going to retire after the 2024 season. However, the trade changed everything. Sure enough, here we are two years later, looking back on how it all worked out for him in the end. 

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