The Atlanta Braves finally got that starting pitcher they needed to add to their rotation when they traded for seven-time All-Star Chris Sale. Wednesday on The Morning Shift former Atlanta Braves pitcher and new primary Braves analyst for Bally Sports CJ Nitkowski explained why Sale is a “really nice add” to the Braves rotation.
“His strikeout rate, his strikeout rate per 9 is the highest in Major League Baseball history," said Nitkowski. "He has been the best of any pitcher with at least 1,500 innings in their career. I didn’t even know that. I knew he had been good, I didn’t realize that he had been the best, so this is a really nice add for the Braves.”
Of course everybody in Atlanta would’ve loved to see Aaron Nola in a Braves uniform this season especially after Alex Anthopoulos told Dukes & Bell Tuesday “[Aaron] Nola was really the only one that if he wasn’t going to go back to the Phillies then we would’ve engaged at that point in time.” That sounds like the Braves were close to a deal with Nola before he re-signed with the Phillies.
However, Sale seems to be a great fit for the Braves not only on the field but in the clubhouse. His resume speaks for itself, and if Sale is anywhere close to where he was in his prime, the Braves will still have one of the best starting pitching rotations in baseball.