Sale, who turns 35 in March, joins a Braves rotation which includes 20-game winner Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder, Max Fried and 40-year-old Charlie Morton. As such, Sale is not expected to be the ace of the staff. If Sale can pitch 150 innings and win 10 games, the Braves would be very happy with that indeed.
Well, Sale would exceed all expectations stepping up when the Braves lost Strider with season ending elbow surgery. Sale went 18-3 with a 2.38 ERA with 225 strikeouts in 177.2 innings pitched. As with Skubal, Sale would win the pitching Triple Crown as well.
I think Sale benefited tremendously from a change of scenery which took him closer to home. In addition to the NL Cy Young, Sale was also named NL Comeback Player of the Year last week.
Had Sale been healthy all this time, he would be closing in on 3,000 strikeouts. However, Sale's renaissance and his opportunity to build upon it resumes the Cooperstown conversation. Should that not come to pass, Sale has good reason to be proud of the season he just completed.