The next move the Braves must make after Chris Sale signed a $27 million contract extension

The Atlanta Braves cannot heal Chris Sale’s $27 million extension as a symbolic gesture. It is a declaration that this organization intends to win now, not someday. Once that line is drawn, the next logical step becomes obvious. Trade a package that represents great potential headed by Hurston Waldrep for Jose Berrios and solidify the rotation behind Sale and Spencer Strider.

The sale is newwhich includes a $27 million salary for 2027 and a $30 million club option for 2028, is the largest single-season guarantee in franchise history. That detail is important. The Braves are giving ace-level money to a mid-30s left-hander with elite credentials and a well-documented injury history. This is not a sentimental award. It’s a calculated bet that the next two to three seasons will define Atlanta’s championship frame.

The timing heightens that urgency. The Braves are leaving 76–86, missing the postseason for the first time in seven years. Extending the southpaw right after that sends a clear signal that the front office believes the core is still strong enough to contend right now. Any serious analysis of contract extensions must begin with that assumption. You don’t allocate money to shoot a franchise to anchor a staff unless you believe the window is open.

The challenge, however, is structural. Sale and Strider form one of the most dynamic one-two combinations in baseball. After that, certainty fades. Reynaldo Lopez fits into the mix, but the remaining depth, Grant Holmes, Joey Wentz, Brice Elder, and others, raises legitimate concerns about who starts Game 3 of the postseason. Injuries have already thinned the upper levels of the system, with several young arms on the sidelines. That reality makes upgrading the Braves’ 2026 rotation more of a necessity than a luxury.

Enter Berrios.

Reports indicate Toronto is willing to talk about him despite the financial obligation attached to his contract. He’s not a perennial Cy Young leader, but he offers exactly what Atlanta needs, durability and predictability. Berrios routinely approaches 30 starts per season and provides significant stability in innings. He’s not a headline-grabber. He is the leader of the innings.

In October, that difference becomes critical. The trio of Sale-Strider-Berrios fundamentally reshapes the postseason equation. Lopez can slide into a fourth starter role or act as a multi-run weapon. Behind-the-scenes hands move into depth roles instead of high-impact tasks. That’s how the team turns regular season potential into playoff reliability. A trade for Berrios would not be close. It would be about minimizing volatility.

The proposed trade package, Waldrep, Owen Murphy and Jesse Franklin W, reflects that logic. Waldrep possesses legitimate upside and big-league caliber stuff, though evaluators cite inconsistency in command. Now there is an extra layer of uncertainty. The problem first appeared in early spring as pain in the right elbow. Imaging revealed loose bodies in his right elbow, leading to the decision for an arthroscopic debridement procedure with no reported ligament tears. For Atlanta, development it changes the timeline and increases the risk. For the trading partner, this affects valuation but does not eliminate growth if the cleanup proceeds as expected.

Murphy is an additional development rotation bet. Franklin profiles as a near-ready depth fielder. For Toronto, the package delivers cost-controlled talent and advantage. For the Braves, that translates the projection and now some medical volatility into approximately 180 reliable innings.

The counterargument is understandable. Why surrender multiple prospects to throw a veteran with a significant contract? Atlanta has built lasting success on internal growth and long-term profitability. Waldrep’s ceiling, combined with years of control, aligns with that philosophy. After a sub-.500 season, patience might seem prudent.

But Sala’s expansion changes the equation. Once the Braves invested record money during the age-38 season, the risk profile changed. Waiting for prospects to stabilize the third rotation spot risks losing prime years to both Sale and Strider. Every hiccup and uncertain October game diminishes the return on that $27 million investment. Berrios’ contract becomes feasible on a roster where much of the core position players remain on team deals.

Atlanta has shown in the past that it will trade promising weapons when the competition demands it. This is that moment. The brave don’t take their future apart. They protect their present.

The next move should be decisive. Call Toronto. Focus the business around Waldrep. Complete the frame with Murphy and Franklin. Then enter 2026 with a rotation that reflects the ambition behind Sale’s extension. Anything less leaves the boldest financial commitment in franchise history incomplete.