The Braves wanted Chris Sale, but they needed his approval in order to officially bring him to Atlanta.
Last Saturday’s Red Sox-Braves deal could only be finalized if Sale lifted his no-trade clause. The veteran southpaw signaled the green light, which sealed his jump to Atlanta and brought infielder Vaughn Grissom to Boston.
Speaking with Braves media for the first time Thursday afternoon, Sale explained why he signed off on the move to the six-time defending National League champions.
“There were a lot of factors on this,” Sale told reporters, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “I had to work quick. The biggest thing for me was putting myself and my family in a good situation … not a whole lot of other places to go.”
Sale noted how he valued the site of the Braves spring training facility (North Port, Fla.) and the club’s prospects to be competitive in the years to come.
The veteran southpaw has a chance to call Atlanta home for at least the next three seasons. Five days after the trade, the Braves signed Sale to a two-year contract extension.
