As much as Atlanta Braves fans have been trying to put on a brave face this offseason, the reality is that keeping Max Fried was always a long shot. There was almost no word about traction towards an extension during the season and with the depth the Braves have in their rotation, there was little urgency for Atlanta to spend what it would probably take to keep him especially with their other roster needs and Fried's injury issues.
That is pretty much how the offseason has played out so far as well. There have been a few reports that the Braves would like to keep him, but no word that anything was remotely close and the number of suitors for Fried in free agency has only grown.
On the eve of the Winter Meetings, USA Today's Bob Nightengale provided a pair of nuggets that all but sealed the fact that Fried is moving on this offseason. Not only does he think that Fried is going to end up getting a contract in excess of $200 million, but he also think he priced himself out of Atlanta and will likely sign with either the Yankees or Red Sox.
@BNightengale thinks the Red Sox and Yankees will battle it out for Max Fried.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) December 8, 2024
“Fried priced himself out of Atlanta, but is expected to sign with the Yankees or Red Sox. If Soto goes to the Mets, Fried could find himself in a nice bidding war between the Red Sox and Yankees.” pic.twitter.com/ntlouPswwg
Max Fried predicted to get a $200+ million deal with either the Yankees or Red Sox
That...is a lot of money, but there is a good chance that Nightengale ends up being right here. The price for starting pitching right now is objectively insane with even the mid-tier guys with question marks getting real money on short-term deals. Fried and Corbin Burnes are the top arms available right now and once the bidding for Juan Soto ends, both of those guys are going to cash in.
Nightengale's reporting also tracks with what we have been hearing. Over the last week or two, it has felt like the AL East was the most likely destination for Fried and both the Yankees and Red Sox seem extremely motivated to make a splash this offseason. If one of them signs Soto, the loser probably ends up being the frontrunner for Fried. If Soto signs with the Mets (gross) or another team, we could see an insane bidding war for Fried's services.
Wherever Fried ends up, the odds that the Braves remain seriously involved feel incredibly small. Atlanta's front office is notoriously quiet, but that Nightengale went out of his way to say that the Braves were already priced out is hard to ignore. At this point, the only question now is how quickly Fried will sign elsewhere.