Atlanta Braves fans have dealt with some of their favorite players leaving over the last few years. It's never easy but Major League Baseball is a business at the end of the day. While fans would love for their favorite teams to always keep their favorite players, that's not the baseball world we live in anymore.
Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson leaving in free agency stung, but it's easy to see why the Braves moved on given the market. Lefty ace Max Fried is the next in line for a potential exit from Atlanta. He's solidified himself as a fan-favorite. We've seen him grow from a budding top prospect to an elite starting pitcher.
Fried declined his qualifying offer of $21.05 million as expected earlier this offseason and that leaves his future with Atlanta uncertain. Turning down the QO was disappointing to be sure, but was also inevitable as he had a great 2024 season and is in line for a big payday this offseason. His season went so well that if this was his final time wearing the Braves uniform, his legacy with the team would and should be remembered as a successful one.
If Max Fried doesn't return to the Braves in 2025, his final season in Atlanta was exceptional
In eight seasons with the Braves, Fried 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. Fried's time in Atlanta will eventually be considered one of the best by a franchise starting pitcher.
He continued to excel in limiting hard contact and inducing ground balls. His strikeout rate remained the same which is expected since he's never been a strikeout pitcher. The only true blemishes for Max this season were the spikes in his walk and chase rate. His walk rate increased from 5.8% (2023) to 8.0% (2024) and his chase rate stayed about the same at 28.9% (it was 29% in 2023).
That's the one thing Max needs to improve on wherever he lands in 2025. However, his last three seasons in Atlanta make a strong case for him to return. He had a 2.80 ERA from 2022 to 2024 with a 3.03 FIP, 107 BB, and 416 K.
Take a bow, No. 54. pic.twitter.com/edMvZEvaZK
— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) September 28, 2024
Max has the fourth-best winning percentage (.670) in franchise history behind Fred Klobedanz, Greg Maddux, and Russ Ortiz. He also the second-most strikeouts per nine innings (8.783 K/9) just behind Charlie Morton, who also may have seen his last days as a Brave.
It will be tough to see Max leave and get a long-term deal with another team. Even worse, he could land with a rival team and torture Atlanta for years to come. However, he's earned the chance to see if he can get a large deal before the latter stage of his career begins.
Braves fans are lucky to have gotten the opportunity to see him pitch for as long as they have. Whatever happens next, Max Fried's success as an Atlanta Brave will never be forgotten.