‘Completely ridiculous.' GM shoots down rumors that he'll trade former Red Sox ace
The Atlanta Braves may be 11 games down in their division, but general manager Alex Anthopoulos is making it clear that his team has no plans of selling at the MLB trade deadline.
That means, no, former Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale is not on the market.
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During an 680 The Fan in Atlanta, Anthopoulos was asked about the potential of a trade involving Sale. The Braves GM said there was 'zero' chance that the team would deal him away.
'It's completely ridiculous to me. We're not selling, especially someone that has club control beyond the current year,' Anthopoulos said.
'Will not happen – and I never make definitive statements unless I'm going to stick to them," he added. 'Once you make definitive statements and then go back on them, you're a liar and you're done. Will not happen. Bold, italicize it, caps.'
Anthopoulos said he's currently working on a trade that he hopes will prove to fans that the team has no plans of giving up on the season.
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The Braves have run hot and cold this season (mostly cold). They've won six of their last eight games. But that came after a seven-game losing streak.
As for Sale, the veteran lefty has been one of the best pitchers in baseball since the Red Sox traded him away.
The 36-year-old won his first career Cy Young Award after a dominant 2024 season. This year, it's been more of the same, with Sale posting a 2.52 ERA through 15 starts.
There haven't been any direct rumors regarding a Sale trade. But with the Braves struggling this year, there's been heavy speculation that Atlanta could benefit from dealing the veteran starter.
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Anthonopoulos did later admit that he could reevaluate things if Atlanta continues to struggle heading into the trade deadline. However, that would be an 'extreme' scenario, he stressed.
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