Chris Sale’s name has been recently thrown out as a “dream” starting pitcher for the Chicago Cubs to acquire before the trade deadline on July 31. The Cubs are looking to boost the starting rotation after losing Justin Steele for the season due to an elbow injury and missing Shota Imanaga for weeks (hamstring).
Not only do the Cubs need to replace Steele, but manager Craig Counsell needs to rest some arms that have been throwing extra innings amid injuries. Sale, a former member of the Chicago White Sox, won the NL Comeback Player of the Year in 2024 and has continued to stay hot with an ERA of 2.52 in 2025.
The Braves aren’t trading Chris Sale to the Chicago Cubs
During an appearance on 680 The Fan on Wednesday, Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos said he has no plans to trade anybody, including Sale, before the trade deadline.
He’s considering making a trade for a player in the hopes that it will signal the clubhouse that he’s not giving up on 2025 despite being 10 games back from the New York Mets for first place in the NL East with a 34-39 record.
“No, zero,” Anthopoulos said of his intentions to trade Sale before the deadline. “I’ve seen the speculation. It’s completely ridiculous to me. So, we are not selling, especially someone that has club control beyond the current year,” he said. “Will not happen. I never make definitive statements unless I’m going to stick to them. Once you make definitive statements and then you go back on them, you’re a liar, and you’re done.
“Will not happen. Bold, italicize it, caps. So much so that I’m trying to make a trade now — it’s very hard to make a trade in June–just to signal to everybody that we will not sell. You get to the end of July, and things are completely changed–I guess we would reevaluate, but you’d have to be extreme. We’re built to win. Our expectations are to win. Our expectations are to go for it the entire time.”
Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos on @680TheFan this morning on @CelliniNick & @chrisdimino
🔹 "We are not selling"
🔹 "Want to be in a position to add"
🔹 Offense has been "most disappointing"
🔹 On trading Chris Sale: "Will not happen"
🔹 Jurickson Profar will get a second chance pic.twitter.com/KduLq56XDV— 680 The Fan (@680TheFan) June 18, 2025
Anthopoulos sort of made a definitive statement on Sale, but left himself an out if things “completely” change by the end of July.
Still, Cubs president Jed Hoyer signaled he wants to make a trade sooner rather than later, and it makes no sense for Chicago to wait on the hopes that the 36-year-old will be available for them at the start of August.
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