Atlanta Braves fans have worried all offseason about where Max Fried would pitch next season. There was hope the Braves would find a way to bring him back for at least a few more years. However, plenty of other teams saw the same value Braves fans did. Rightfully so as Max Fried is a talented pitcher and excellent teammate. There's no reason he shouldn't be getting a lot of attention.
Fried has been linked to a few different teams all offseason, including the Red Sox, Yankees, Braves, Blue Jays, Dodgers, and Giants.
Max spent eight years with the Braves and posted a 3.07 ERA in 884.1 innings of work. He is a two-time All-Star, a three-time Gold Glove winner, and a World Series Champion. His time in Atlanta will eventually be considered one of the franchise's best by a pitcher.
Unfortunately, Fried decided on his future on Tuesday evening and he went to one of the worst teams imaginable. Fried agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees.
Source confirms: Max Fried to Yankees, eight years, $218M, pending physical. Biggest deal for a left-hander and fourth largest pitching contract in game’s history. First: @JeffPassan
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 10, 2024
Max Fried just signed an objectively insane eight year deal with the Yankees
Why did it have to be the Yankees of all teams? Braves fans already had to live with the memory of Mark Teixeira's deal plus, you know, all of those heartbreaking World Series losses in the late 1990's at the hands of the Yankees. Now we have to be subjected to seeing Fried in pinstripes for the better part of a decade.
While this is a massive gutpunch for Atlanta Braves fans, there is a silver lining to this. This is the biggest contract ever handed to a left-handed pitcher and the fourth-largest pitching contract in MLB history. According to reports, Fried's deal contains no opt-outs or deferred money and is just a straight eight year deal.
Fried will be getting an AAV of $27.25 million a year and that's for a pitcher on the wrong side of 30. Couple that with his known injury struggles over the years and it's easy to see why the Braves may not have gotten anywhere near that size of a deal. While Fried may be great for the first few years of this deal, his age and possibly his history of arm issues could make that deal look pretty rough for New York down the line.
Unfortunately, this is the reality that has been hand to the Braves this offseason. The prices for pitching have gone through the roof and Fried got the opportunity to make the most of it. Losing Fried hurts right now, but good for him securing his bag and hopefully he does well. It still would be nice to put him and Yankees on the wrong side of a few World Series as repayment, though.