Chris Sale and the White Sox have agreed to a $32.5 million contract, the team announced.
Sale was already signed for $600,000 this season, but the deal will rip that up and give him a new $850,000 salary. And then he’ll get $3.5 million in 2014, $6 million in 2015, $9.15 million in 2016, and $12 million in 2017. Chicago also now has a 2018 option for $12.5 million and a 2019 option for $13.5 million.
Sale would have been arbitration eligible for the first time next season, so this deal buys out all three seasons of arbitration eligibility and his first season of free agency while giving the White Sox options on his second and third seasons of free agency. For a total of $32.5 million that’s a very worthwhile commitment for the White Sox and guaranteeing yourself $32.5 million is never a bad thing for a 24-year-old pitcher.
After thriving as a reliever initially Sale shifted to the rotation last season and threw 192 innings with a 3.05 ERA and 192/51 K/BB ratio. He ranked among the AL’s top five in wins, ERA, WHIP, opponents’ batting average, and strikeout rate at age 23, establishing himself as one of the best young starters in baseball.