Despite newfound payroll wiggle room, Braves reuniting with Fried remains unlikely

Although the bond between Max Fried and the Braves is special, it may be time for Atlanta to move on. The two time All-Star is now a free agent after spending the past 8 seasons in Atlanta, looking to cash in big-time. The Braves will likely shift away from Fried and begin a new era of their rotation led by their fireballing right-hander Spencer Strider and company.

Salary cap considerations

Fried is expected to receive roughly $25 million per year for about 5 or 6 seasons. An important thing to note is that not many pitchers have Fried's track record and consistency, meaning that there will be teams that will likely overpay his value in a bidding war. This could potentially inflate his value to $30 million or more per year, which would not be in the Braves' best interest to pay.

With that in mind that it opens doors for Atlanta to think towards different routes. Willy Adames is one of the main free agent names in the ballpark of Fried's price tag. The 29-year-old finished his 2024 with a career-high in homers (32), RBI (112), runs scored (93), hits (153), and stolen bases (21). Adames is expected to make anywhere from $25-28 million per year, which is comparable to Fried's expected AAV.

If the Braves decide to go a different route for pitching, resigning Charlie Morton can prove to be an important and affordable move. Morton finished his age-40 season by posting a 4.19 ERA to pair with 167 strikeouts through 165.1 innings of work. While this wouldn't be the fanciest option available, his consistency and durability could make it a smart move for the Braves.

Injury history

While Fried has a history of consistency with Atlanta, he has been vulnerable to the injury bug, making 30 starts only twice in eight seasons with Atlanta. Since the beginning of his Braves days, Fried has suffered through forearm soreness, concussion protocols, frequent blisters, and a lingering hamstring strain.

Fried's injury history doesn't jump off the page as alarming, but it is important to take it into account when signing somewhere long-term. While you can lean on him to be a consistent arm of the front end of your rotation, you can also count on him missing some time throughout the season.

Max Fried has been a monumental piece in the Braves organization for many years, but his time in Atlanta is likely over. If he decides against resigning back, he will be remembered for his dominant 5-year stretch, and his impact on Atlanta's 2021 World Series title. It will be interesting to see where Fried will sign, and what the Braves will do with their newfound payroll wiggle room.

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