Braves exercise options on Sale and Albies, turn down Johnson and Kinley

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ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves exercised options on left-hander Chris Sale and second baseman Ozzie Albies on Thursday while declining options on pitchers Pierce Johnson and Tyler Kinley.

Atlanta also declined an $8 million option on shortstop David Fletcher, who receives a $1.5 million buyout and becomes arbitration eligible after finishing a $26 million, five-year contract he signed with the Los Angeles Angels.

Sale had an $18 million team option that increased the contract of the 36-year-old left-hander to $56 million for 2024-26.

Sale earned his second straight All-Star selection and ninth overall, going 7-5 with a 2.58 ERA in a season in which he didn’t pitch between June 18 and Aug. 30 because of a fractured left ribcage, sustained while coming of the mound to field a grounder by the New York Mets’ Juan Soto. Sale is 25-8 with a 2.46 ERA in two seasons with the Braves, winning the 2024 NL Cy Young Award.

Albies gets a $7 million salary in 2026 for what will be the last season in a deal worth $45 million over nine years. The 28-year-old hit a career-low .240 with 16 homers and 74 RBIs.

Johnson gets a $250,000 buyout rather than a $7 million salary, completing a two-year contract guaranteeing $14.25 million. The 34-year-old right-hander was 3-3 with a 3.05 ERA in 65 relief appearances, striking out 59 in 59 innings.

Kinley receives a $750,000 buyout instead of a $5 million salary. A right-hander who turns 35 in January, Kinley was acquired from Colorado at the trade deadline. He was 6-3 with a 3.96 ERA in 73 relief appearances, including 5-0 with a 0.72 ERA in 24 games for the Braves. Kinley and the Rockies agreed ahead of the 2023 season, when he was still recovering from right flexor tendon surgery, to a $6.25 million, three-year contract.

Fletcher, 31, was acquired by Atlanta before the 2024 season. He spent this year entirely in the minor leagues, hitting .185 with three homers and 20 RBIs at Triple-A Gwinnett and Double-A Columbus.

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