Boston — The Red Sox have exercised their $15 million option for next season on ace left-hander Chris Sale.

Sale will earn $15 million in the final season of a five-year contract he signed with the Chicago White Sox before the 2013 season that guaranteed $32.5 million, including a 2017 option buyout. He had a $12.5 million salary this season in the first of two option years and will wind up earning $59 million over seven seasons plus award bonuses.

Sale can become a free agent after the 2019 World Series.

In addition, infielder Eduardo Nunez exercised his $5 million player option rather than become a free agent.

The 2017 AL Cy Young Award runner-up and a seven-time All-Star, Sale struck out the side in the ninth inning of World Series Game 5 against the Los Angeles Dodgers to close out Boston’s fourth championship in 15 seasons. Boston announced its decision Tuesday, two days after the finale.

The 29-year-old earned his first playoff victory in Game 1 of the AL Division Series against the New York Yankees. Sale went 12-4 with a 2.11 ERA and 237 strikeouts in 27 regular-season starts in his second season in Boston.

He was among the favorites to win the Cy Young this season before shoulder issues during the season’s second half.

Nunez hit .265 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs in 502 plate appearances, playing second base and third.

Red Sox return with World Series trophy

The World Series champion Boston Red Sox have returned to Fenway Park, carrying the championship trophy they won a night earlier.

A caravan of buses arrived at Fenway on Monday night, less than 24 hours after the Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-1 to win the World Series in five games, giving the organization its fourth title since 2004.

A couple hundred fans and about a half-dozen TV cameras were waiting for the team.

Fans started cheering when the buses arrived and roared when catcher Christian Vazquez got off the second bus holding the trophy.

Manager Alex Cora got off the first bus and held his index finger aloft to acknowledge the crowd. The players grabbed their luggage and left in their vehicles — with Brock Holt tooting his horn as he drove off. Many waved to the crowd, but none spoke.

Cora left the park wearing a grey sweat shirt with a hood over his head, walking down the street briefly unnoticed before he was followed and surrounded by about a dozen fans. He stopped a couple of times to sign autographs.

He was asked, “How does it feel to be a world champion?”

“Different,” Cora said before he strolled away.

The city of Boston has planned a parade of Duck Boats for Wednesday.

Steve Pearce hit two homers and drove in three runs in the clincher, earning World Series MVP honors.

Duck boats ready for victory parade

Baseball season is coming to a triumphant conclusion in Boston as the city hosts a parade that honors the Red Sox on their World Series championship.

The parade is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Wednesday outside Fenway Park when players, coaches and team officials climb aboard amphibious duck boats. It will then wind its way through several major downtown streets that are expected to be lined by hundreds of thousands of fans.

Police say security will be tight with no public drinking allowed. Fans are also being asked not to bring in large items such as backpacks, coolers and strollers.

The Red Sox beat the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games to earn their fourth World Series parade since 2004. The team had previously gone 86 years without a title.

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