FORT MYERS, Fla. -- When the Red Sox made a blockbuster trade with the White Sox for Chris Sale in December 2016, the only guarantee was that they'd have the powerful lefty for three seasons. The marriage between the ace pitcher and the defending World Series champions will extend far beyond that.
The Red Sox announced Saturday morning that they had signed their ace to a five-year extension through the 2024 season.MLB.com's Mark Feinsand, citing a source, reported Friday that the deal was worth $160 million. It includes an opt-out clause after the 2022 season, and some of the money is deferred.The contract contains a vesting option for 2025 based on starts, which will be worth no less than $20 million. Sale will also receive a full no-trade clause during the ‘20 season once he hits 10 years of MLB service time.Sale will earn $30 million from 2020-22, and $27.5 million in ’23 and ’24.The 2021-24 seasons have escalators based on Cy Young finishes.Sale was supposed to pitch on Friday night against the Twins. Instead, he underwent a physical.
 
Red Sox, Chris Sale agree to a five-year, $160M extension
 
With a contract extension, Sale joins the many superstars who have already signed lucrative extensions this offseason. This week alone, Mike Trout (Angels), Paul Goldschmidt (Cardinals) and Blake Snell (Rays) have agreed to long-term deals with their clubs, with Trout's 12-year, $426.5 million extension the largest contract in baseball history.Sale would have been eligible for free agency for the first time in his career at the end of the coming season, but that now appears to be a milestone pushed down the road.Because the deal hadn't been finalized yet, manager Alex Cora declined to discuss it Friday, but he was able to comment on Sale’s value to his team.“We saw it last year,” Cora said. “He started Opening Day and he started every [Game 1 in the postseason] after that. He’s our Opening Day starter [again in 2019]. Everyone knows how good he is and what he brings to the table, not only on the field but off the field. He’s one of the best.”All spring, the Red Sox and Sale both expressed optimism an extension could be reached.“It makes people want to come here,” lefty David Price said of Sale nearing an extension. "The better we can make ourselves for as long as we can, the more attractive it is to come play in Boston.”Price is under contract for four more years, and so, too, is hard-throwing righty Nathan Eovaldi. Though Rick Porcello is eligible for free agency following this season, the Red Sox have the foundation of a rotation in place that should be strong for years to come.“It makes us better; that’s all I care about,” said Price. “It’s definitely something unique we have.”Getting Sale locked up long term was vital for a team that has several other big contract decisions looming in the coming years. Shortstop Xander Bogaerts will also be eligible for free agency at the end of this season.Superstar Mookie Betts can be a free agent after the 2020 season, and he indicated earlier this week that he expected to reach free agency. Center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. is also eligible for free agency after ’20.Star slugger J.D. Martinez has opt-outs in his contract after both this season and next.An extension for Sale means that arguably the three biggest headliners of the potential 2019-20 free-agent class are off the market -- Sale, Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado, who signed an eight-year, $260 million deal to stay with the Rockies earlier this offseason. Now, with Justin Verlander expected to sign a two-year extension with the Astros, the biggest free agents next winter would include Nationals third baseman Anthony Rendon and Astros star pitcher Gerrit ColeSale has dominated for the Red Sox since they traded for him. He has a 2.56 ERA across 59 starts in his two seasons in Boston, with 545 strikeouts in 372 1/3 innings.Sale has been an American League All-Star for the last seven seasons and he's finished in the top five of AL Cy Young Award voting for the last six seasons. He helped lead the Red Sox to a World Series championship last year, including closing out the Fall Classic with a strikeout of the Dodgers' Manny Machado.
Ian Browne/ MLB.com
 

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