The Max Fried sweepstakes continue to ramp up as the 2024 Winter Meetings approach. Atlanta's former southpaw ace reached free agency for the first time and there's a lot of interest in adding his services.
There have been rumblings of interest among certain teams, including division rivals such as the Mets and Phillies. However, Fried recently met with the dreaded New York Yankees and appeared to enjoy it. It seems that the rest of their division has taken notice of Fried's talent as well.
I could watch Max Fried's curveball all day
— Max Mannis (@MaxMannis) June 23, 2024
(just ideally not against the Yankees) pic.twitter.com/GZfbb6CEhB
AL East interest in Max Fried may crush Braves fans hope of a reunion in 2025
The AL East is a formidable baseball division and it seems almost every team is interested in acquiring Max Fried. Couple that with the high-dollar deals handed out for starting pitchers thus far, and it creates a troubling scenario for the Braves.
Not only are the Yankees interested in Max, but the Blue Jays, Orioles, and Red Sox have also made it known they are very keen on him. The Rays are the only team in the division that hasn't been linked to the California native.
It's easy to see why Fried would garner so much attention from the league. He's spent the last eight years with the Braves and has done nothing but succeed. He turned in a gutsy Game 6 performance to help Atlanta win a World Series, earned three gold gloves, and was named an All-Star twice.
He has a career 3.07 ERA, a 3.29 FIP, 246 walks, and 863 strikeouts. Add that along with his career ground ball rate of 54.4%, and you understand why teams would covet his talent.
Max Fried tossed a complete game tonight 💪
— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) May 23, 2024
9 IP | 2 R | 1 ER | 3 H | 0 BB | 9 K
(via @BravesOnBally)pic.twitter.com/RCTW1psc6U
Sure, the Braves would like for AA to bring him back for the 2025 season but it's going to be a challenge. He knows the fan base wants their former ace to return next season and for good reason.
Fansided's Mark Powell briefly touched on this stating, "He knows Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson left Atlanta recently, and the fanbase is tired of watching homegrown talent perform for other teams, and in Freeman's case win World Series MVP. That's why he'll try to sway Fried, even if the chances of a return are slim."
That is important to consider as Braves fans have long complained about not bringing back players who are fan favorites. It's easy to justify why he didn't bring back Swanson and Freeman but it doesn't take away the sting. Finding a way to bring Fried back would help repair some of that hurt but with this recent news, it may be harder than they expected.