For any fellow executives salivating whereas watching Chris Sale carve up the Mets on Wednesday night time, Braves normal supervisor Alex Anthopoulos stated to gradual their roll.
“Zero (chance),” Anthopoulos stated on 680 “The Fan” earlier than Wednesday’s 5-0 win. “I’ve seen the hypothesis and that’s why — it’s utterly ridiculous to me. We’re not promoting, particularly somebody that has membership management past the present 12 months. Won’t occur.
“I never make definitive statements unless I’m going to stick to them. Because once you make definitive statements and then you go back on them, you’re a liar and you’re done. Will. Not. Happen. Bold, italicize it, caps. So much so, that I’m trying to make a trade now in June just to signal to everybody, ‘Hey, we will not sell.”
There was hypothesis about whether or not the underwhelming Braves will probably be sellers at this 12 months’s commerce deadline on account of their 33-39 begin that has them 11 video games out within the NL East.
Sale, the reigning NL Cy Younger winner, could be the crew’s most fascinating piece — assuming Ronald Acuna Jr. is off limits — on account of his standout efficiency and team-friendly contract.
The lefty is making $22 million this 12 months and the Braves maintain an $18 million crew possibility for subsequent 12 months.
Sale owns a 2.52 ERA after throwing 8 2/3 scoreless innings in opposition to the Mets on Wednesday and has a 1.41 mark spanning his final 11 video games after beginning the 12 months with a 6.63 ERA via 4 begins.
Any contender might envision including Sale to the highest of their rotation for October, however the Braves are usually not but ceding within the postseason race.
They entered Thursday 5 1/2 video games out of the third and remaining wild card spot.
Atlanta has 4 extra video games on faucet in opposition to the Mets over the following week, together with units in opposition to the Phillies and Cardinals earlier than the All-Star break.
“We’re not selling,” Anthopoulos stated on the present. “A month from now, we find yourself 30 video games underneath or one thing loopy, I assume I’d rethink.
“We’ve got a talented club. It hasn’t shown itself, clearly. These next two weeks leading into the All-Star break … are really important us. There’s definitely a sense of urgency, there has been, but even more so now.”
