GLENDALE, Ariz. - The Chicago White Sox have agreed to terms on a
five-year, $32.5-million contract with left-handed pitcher Chris Sale, which
includes club options for the 2018 and 2019 seasons.
Under terms of the contract, Sale,
who turns 24 on March 30, will receive $850,000 in 2013, $3.5 million in 2014,
$6.0 million in 2015, $9.15 million in 2016 and $12 million in 2017. The White
Sox hold options for 2018 at $12.5 million and for 2019 at $13.5 million. If
either option is declined, Sale
will receive a $1.0-million buyout.
Sale went 17-8 with a 3.05
ERA (65 ER/192.0 IP) and 192 strikeouts in 2012, his first professional season
as a starting pitcher, was selected to his first American League All-Star Team
and finished sixth in Cy Young Award voting.
His 192 strikeouts were
the most by a White Sox left-hander since Floyd Bannister fanned 198 in 1985,
and his 17 victories were the most by a Sox lefty since Mark Buehrle won 19 in
2002.
"We are thrilled to be able to
reward Chris for his accomplishments thus far in his career and to keep one of
the best young starters in the league in a White Sox uniform for potentially
the next seven years," said Rick Hahn, White Sox senior vice president/general
manager.
The 6-foot-6,
180-pounder ranked among the AL
leaders last season in numerous categories, including ERA (4th), strikeouts per
9.0 IP (4th, 9.0), wins (T4th), winning percentage (T5th, .680), opponents
average (6th, .235), opponents on-base percentage (6th, .291),
strikeout-to-walk ratio (8th, 3.76) and strikeouts (9th).
Sale recorded 11 or more
strikeouts four times in 2012, joining Ed Walsh (four in 1910) and Javier
Vazquez (four in 2006) as the only pitchers in White Sox history to accomplish
the feat. He became the fifth White Sox pitcher to strike out 13-plus batters
twice in one season (15 on May 28 at Tampa
Bay and 13 on August 22
vs. New York-AL).
In two-plus seasons with
Chicago, Sale
has gone 21-11 with a 2.89 ERA (92 ER/286.1 IP) and 303 strikeouts in 109 games
(29 starts), holding opponents to a .223 (234-1,048) average.
Sale
was selected by the White Sox in the first round (13th overall) in 2010 and was
the only member of that draft class to play in the major leagues that season.
He had been
on pace to be arbitration eligible for the first time following the 2013 season
and a free agent following the 2016 season.
