Braves exercise options on Sale and Albies, turn down Johnson and Kinley

Audio By Carbonatix

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves exercised options on left-hander Chris Sale and second baseman Ozzie Albies on Thursday while declining options on pitchers Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley.

Sale had an $18 million team option that increased the contract of the 36-year-old left-hander to $56 million for 2024-26.

Sale earned his second straight All-Star selection and ninth overall, going 7-5 with a 2.58 ERA in a season in which he didn’t pitch between June 18 and Aug. 30 because of a fractured left ribcage, sustained while coming of the mound to field a grounder by the New York Mets’ Juan Soto. Sale is 25-8 with a 2.46 ERA in two seasons with the Braves, winning the 2024 NL Cy Young Award.

Albies gets a $7 million salary in 2026 for what will be the last season in a deal worth $45 million over nine years. The 28-year-old hit a career-low .240 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs.

Johnson gets a $250,000 buyout rather than a $7 million salary, completing a two-year contract guaranteeing $14.25 million. The 34-year-old right-hander was 3-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 65 relief appearances, striking out 59 in 59 innings.

Kinley receives a $750,000 buyout instead of a $5 million salary. A right-hander who turns 35 in January, Kinley was acquired from Colorado at the trade deadline. He was 6-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 73 relief appearances, including 5-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 24 games for the Braves. Kinley and the Rockies agreed ahead of the 2023 season, when he was still recovering from right flexor tendon surgery, to a $6.25 million, three-year contract.

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb