White Sox pitcher Chris Sale’s wicked arm motion has many in the baseball world nervously waiting for the left-hander to suffer a debilitating injury.

But it hasn’t scared off the organization that drafted him four years ago. Instead, the Sox rewarded Sale after his impressive first season in the rotation. Sale agreed to a five-year, $32.5 million contract extension with the Sox on Thursday, a deal potentially worth $60 million.

With a premium on starting pitching, the Sox wisely locked up Sale before he potentially becomes more expensive. In comparison, Seattle signed 26-year-old right-hander Felix Hernandez to a seven-year, $175 million contract in the offseason. Hernandez finished in the top four of American League Cy Young Award voting three of the past four seasons, which included winning the award in 2010. The hope is that Sale can turn into a perennial Cy Young contender and deliver 15-plus wins a season.