Red Sox Pitcher Chris Sale, a seven-time all-star, gets acquired by the Atlanta Braves.

In an unexpected trade with the Boston Red Sox on Saturday, the Atlanta Braves acquired the great starter they had been searching for all winter.

They received 23-year-old infielder Vaughn Grissom in return for veteran left-hander and seven-time All-Star Chris Sale. Grissom hit.330 in Triple-A but was unable to break into the strong Atlanta lineup.

Sale, a skilled strikeout pitcher, won a world championship with the 2018 Red Sox and was an American League All-Star for seven consecutive seasons from 2012 to 2018. From 2016 to 2018, he tied a major-league record by making three straight All-Star starts, a feat previously held by only two Hall of Famers: Lefty Grove and Robin Roberts.

The 6’6″ southpaw pitched six years in Boston and seven years in Chicago after being selected by the Chicago White Sox in the first round of the 2010 amateur draft.

The Boston Globe reports that he will get $27.5 million in 2024, of which the Red Sox will pay $17 million. Due to funds delayed from Sale’s previous contract extension, Atlanta will only have to pay Sale $500,000 in 2024—less than the minimum salary required by big league baseball. A $20 million vesting option is also included in the contract; it would become active if Sale stays injury-free and places among the top 10 vote-getters for the National League Cy Young Award the following season.

The pitcher agreed to waive an existing no-trade provision in order to make the exchange possible.

When compared to other pitchers who switched teams this off-season, Sale was on sale, but the salary in Atlanta is already at an all-time high. The Braves are expected to make over $277 million and pay a luxury tax for the second consecutive season unless they sell closer Raisel Iglesias (due $16 million) or designated hitter Marcell Ozuna (due $18 million in 2024), according to mlbtraderumors.com.

Sale, who underwent Tommy John elbow surgery, has a stellar 3.10 earned run average and a lifetime record of 120-80. In 343 games, he has struck out 2,189 batters while striking out 11.1 batters every nine innings, a major-league record.

Sale has won 17 games in a season three times and fanned a career-high 308 hitters in 2017.

With him in Atlanta, the Braves now have three possible candidates for the Cy Young Award: Max Fried, a lefty who is about to begin his walk year, Spencer Strider, who led the league in wins and strikeouts the previous season.

Charlie Morton, 40, unexpected 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder, and highly anticipated rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep are the contenders for the final rotation places.

Atlanta also expects Ian Anderson, a past postseason hero, to return midseason following Tommy John surgery. Along with free-agent signee Reynaldo Lopez, another injured pitcher who might make the starting five is Huascar Ynoa.

Sale has suffered numerous injuries over the years, such as a broken left pinky finger, a stress fracture in his right rib cage, and a fractured wrist from a cycling accident.

The Braves passed over other available but pricey guns including free agents Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, Brandon Woodruff, and Lucas Giolito (acquired by Boston the day before the Sale swap), after failing to entice free-agent starter Aaron Nola away from NL East foe Philadelphia.

Additionally, they discovered that Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes, two veteran players who might be moved before spring training, were asking too much.

Grissom is playing left field in the Puerto Rican Winter League. He is primarily a middle infielder in the lower leagues. In his little major-league play, he has a.287 average. The Green Monster in left field at Fenway Park should be a tempting target for his effective right-handed hitter.

Along with incumbent shortstop Trevor Story, he is projected to play second for Boston, providing the Red Sox with an offensive-first double-play duo. His remaining six-year contract prevents him from becoming a free agent.