Among all of the big free agents out there this offseason, Max Fried might have the least amount of reliable rumors regarding his market. We know that the Atlanta Braves are interested in keeping Fried, but the exact state of negotiations hasn't been revealed at all. Most of the other speculation around Fried has been more about possible roster fits than substantiated interest from clubs.
One connection to Fried that has been relatively consistent this offseason is to the Yankees. New York is clearly looking to make moves this offseason, although most of the chatter around them has been with regards to the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Nevertheless, Fried landing with the Evil Empire in New York has been mentioned as a possibility repeatedly, but little has come of it until now.
According to Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay, the Yankees met with Fried over Zoom and not only was it a lengthy call that "went very well", but the two sides are set to meet again soon.
"The Yankees had a 90 minute Zoom call with Max Fried yesterday, and it supposedly went very well . . . somebody who's on the Fried side said that Max really really liked them and apparently they're going to have another meeting as well" - @RealMichaelKay pic.twitter.com/FdNh0kLC7z
— The Michael Kay Show (@TMKSESPN) December 4, 2024
Braves Rumors: Max Fried and the Yankees have met and clearly have a mutual interest in one another
Well, this sucks. Unfortunately, the idea of Fried actually leaving the Braves shouldn't be all that surprising. There was no hint that the Braves and Fried were close in any extension talks during the season, Atlanta has been willing to let stars walk in the past if the bidding goes beyond their comfort zone, and Fried is going to command a significant contract as one of the top arms available. What sucks is that he could end up wearing pinstripes which is enough to make most Braves fans' stomachs churn.
The timing of this news is a bit odd, however. The Yankees appear to be firmly in the hunt to sign Soto which is going to require a unbelievably massive contract to pull off. New York has plenty of money to spend, but the idea that they would sign both Soto and Fried feels a bit farfetched. Perhaps the Yankees are just trying to give the rival Red Sox issues in the starting pitching (and Soto) market or they are simply getting contingencies in place in the event that Soto signs elsewhere.
Whatever the scenario that is in play here, the details from Kay are a bit too specific to completely discount despite the fact that they have yet to be independently verified or dismissed just yet. The sad truth for Braves fans is that Fried, whether it is to the Yankees or another team, seems to be moving closer and closer to officially leaving Atlanta.