The 2025 season has obviously not gone to plan for the Atlanta Braves and that is raising some tough questions about how the team should handle the trade deadline this season. If they are out of the playoff hunt by the middle of July, trading away guys on expiring contracts like Marcell Ozuna and (fingers crossed) Raisel Iglesias could be in the cards. However, another name has been garnering some discussion as a trade target and that is Chris Sale.
On the surface, trading Sale may not seem all that crazy. He is, after all, an older starting pitcher with a history of getting hurt. Capitalizing on his value now isn't completely without merit and it has been a topic of discussion amongst the baseball talking heads amid Atlanta's struggles.
Is there a world where the Braves would trade Chris Sale this season? pic.twitter.com/kQhGX95MQe
— Chris Rose Sports (@ChrisRoseSports) June 4, 2025
However, if you think about it even for a moment, the idea that the Braves would OR should trade Sale this year seems truly terrible unless Atlanta gets absolutely blown away by an offer.
No, the Braves should not trade Chris Sale, at least this year
If Atlanta continues to collapse, which is not certain, and Sale were a free agent after the season, then it would make sense to field offers. However, Sale has an $18 million club option for 2026 and that very, very reasonable option is exactly why the Braves should hang on to Sale.
As painful as it would be, there is an argument that the Braves should sell at the trade deadline this year. In a world where their playoff odds are basically nil, moving some pieces to help restock their farm system has tons of merit. However, the Braves are going to want to compete in 2026 no matter how this season goes. Etch that in stone. Why in the world would Atlanta trade Sale and put themselves further behind and less flexible in their decision-making heading into next season?
There is also the problem that guys do not like signing extensions only to get traded. If Atlanta did indeed trade Sale at the deadline this year, the odds they can extend players on reasonable deals in the future go down considerably.
All of that said, trading Sale could be possible under two scenarios. At this stage of his career, if Sale felt like he wants to maximize his chances at the playoffs and asked the Braves to move him to a contender, moving him for a substantial is extremely defensible as much as it would stink. If a team comes around at the deadline and throws an insane trade package on the table and Sale was okay with the move, that would also be fine.
Other than that, the Braves absolutely should not trade Sale this season. However, next season when Sale is headed for free agency is a completely different story.