Hindsight is always 20/20, but given what has gone on with the Atlanta Braves beginning last year and spilling over into this spring, perhaps some questions need to be asked. Specifically, would ponying up to pay Max Fried have been the right decision?
Fried's eight-year, $218 million deal set the record for the most money ever given to a left-handed starter. The Braves knew that Fried was good, but was he record-breaking good? It didn't seem to matter. At the time, the Braves had a plethora of up-and-coming arms, and there was some hope that Spencer Schwellenbach could take a leap and become an ace.
That hasn't come to fruition. A fractured elbow ended his season early last season, and now the surgery he underwent to remove bone spurs from his elbow will keep him out for an undetermined amount of time.
It's not just Schwellenbach either. Reynaldo Lopez has proven to be fragile, Hurston Waldrep has joined Schwellenbach on the IL with similar elbow woes, and now the starting rotation appears to be hanging by a thread. Again.
Meanwhile, Fried just logged a career-high 195 1/3 innings for the Yankees. He's been mostly healthy throughout his career. Oh, how lovely it would be to have someone like that on the Atlanta staff.
Braves' chronic rotation injuries should have them second-guessing letting Max Fried walk
The Braves still have Chris Sale. They will hope that Lopez can stay healthy. Spencer Strider seems to be back (for now). But their depth is taking a hit as Joey Wentz also went down and will be out for the year. Grant Holmes and Bryce Elder don't inspire much confidence at the back end, and the pool of internal replacements is getting slim.
Atlanta will continue to dance around Lucas Giolito until either side blinks or someone else decides to bite the bullet and pay the 31-year-old. But even if the Braves decide to bring him into the fold, they'll still be lacking.
The fact of the matter is that injuries quickly torpedoed them last season, and they're already off to an inauspicious start. They'll be putting an incredible amount of pressure on Chris Sale, who, by the way, also got hurt last year.
Sale is a good place to dwell on for a moment, too. The 2024 NL Cy Young winner looked to be making a strong case to repeat before his injury last year, but now, on the verge of turning 37, he's struggled this spring. That's not the end of the world, but at his advanced age, a dramatic drop-off in performance or another injury isn't out of the realm of possibility. If something happens to him, it will be very bad news.
Meanwhile, Fried posted a stellar 2.86 ERA last season. His fastball velocity was up nearly two miles per hour, coming in at 95.8, from where he was with Atlanta. Retaining him would not only have given the club depth but also provided them with insurance at the top.
It would have been costly. It's almost certain that the last two or three years of his deal will be an abomination. But, in the present day, it would have been worth it. And that really matters. The Braves are built to be a win-now team. They'd be guaranteed to win a decent amount more in 2026 with Fried complementing Sale in the starting rotation. Alas, that ship has sailed.