Anyone who argues that Max Fried wasn't a crucial part of the Atlanta Braves during his time with the team simply was not paying attention or is actively lying because they have an axe to grind. Across eight seasons, Fried became one of the best pitchers in baseball after posting a 3.07 ERA in 167 appearances and totalling nearly 900 innings. Not only did he finish in the top five of Cy Young voting twice, win three Gold Gloves, and make two All-Star teams in Atlanta, but the Braves simply would not have won the World Series in 2021 without him.
However, despite that rich history, the Braves ultimately decided to let Fried walk in free agency after the 2024 season. Both Fried and the team expressed affection for one another, but Atlanta simply couldn't justify matching what was an extremely generous contract offer from the Yankees for Fried.
One very likely reason why the Braves didn't fight harder to keep Fried was his history of nagging injuries, including his propensity for blisters. Unfortunately for New York, they are finding out how hard it is to rely on Fried to stay on the mound as those familiar injury issues are striking at the worst possible time for the Yankees.
Max Fried's injury issues with Yankees are all too familiar to Braves fans
Look, every pitcher is a walking injury risk, and the Braves would have loved to keep Fried at the right price. He is a leader in the clubhouse and a tremendous pitcher when on the mound. This isn't a situation where the Braves just left Fried on the side of the road because they were done with him. Negotiations between the two sides just didn't get there, and that happens, but that also doesn't mean Atlanta was incorrect to be cautious with any attempts to keep Fried around.
Recently, Fried was placed on the IL by the Yankees with an elbow injury. While it sounds like Fried shouldn't be on the shelf for too long, this is his second IL stint THIS YEAR with elbow troubles, and we are talking about a guy who also dealt with various arm issues when he was with the Braves and who also had Tommy John surgery early in his professional career. Nothing can be taken for granted here.
Unfortunately, this is the risk that the Yankees signed up for and the Braves chose to avoid a couple of years ago. No sane Braves fan wished harm upon Fried for leaving. Hell, pretty much any of us would happily wear pinstripes if someone dangled over $200 million in front of our faces. However, Fried's history always suggested that he would deal with at least some minor injuries along the way, and the timing may not be kind.
The Braves found this out themselves the hard way when Fried missed significant time in 2023 and dealt with elbow issues during his walk year in 2024. Some players just get banged up and are riskier than others. Atlanta knew that relying on Fried to live up to that kind of contract over its life was a tough ask, and now the Yankees are having to deal with the consequences of that choice during a tight playoff race in the AL.
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