Report: Chris Sale, Red Sox Agree to $150 Million Extension

Sale has finished in the top five of the American League Cy Young voting in six-straight seasons.

The Red Sox agreed to a contract extension with starter Chris Sale, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal. Sale's new deal is expected to be for five years, "in $150 million range," according to ESPN's Jeff Passan. The deal will reportedly cover the 2020-24 seasons. 

Sale was previously slated to enter free agency following the 2019 season. He is 29–12 in his two seasons in Boston with a 2.56 ERA while striking out 545 batters in 327 1/3 innings. Sale led the American League with 308 strikeouts in 2017.

Sale's new deal follows a wave of recent contract extensions for leading MLB stars. Mike Trout signed an MLB-record $430 million deal with the Angels on Tuesday. On Thursday, Paul Goldschmidt received $110 million from the Cardinals, while Blake Snell signed a five-year extension with the Rays on Thursday. 

Sale has finished in the top five of the American League Cy Young voting in six-straight seasons. He led the Red Sox in ERA and strikeouts in 2018, and provided the final out of the World Series with a strikeout of Manny Machado. 

Boston won the AL East at 108–54 in 2018.