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If the New York Yankees lose the Juan Soto sweepstakes, there’s no telling what the front office might do. The Yankees would need to land a bat or two, and while replacing Soto’s offensive production is nearly impossible, there’s an argument for being a better team without him.
Of course, that would only be if the Yankees signed multiple players to replace him. If New York walked out of free agency with Willy Adames, Anthony Santander, and an ace, they’d be in a good position on paper.
Regarding an ace, it’s the offseason to find one. The Yankees have many options to pursue in the starting pitching market, including Max Fried.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report likes the Yankees landing the southpaw, listing them as a suitor for him.
“Fried has posted that ERA over an ample sum of 659 innings. He’s also just a remarkably well-rounded pitcher, as he’s generally good for roughly four times as many strikeouts as walks and exceptional marks for ground-ball rate and average exit velocity,” Rymer wrote on December 2.
“The six-year, $162 million deal that Carlos Rodón got two winters ago should be a target for Fried, and perhaps as a floor rather than a ceiling. He could even chase Aaron Nola’s seven-year, $172 million contract from last winter.”
Fried’s Predicted Contract
The New York Yankees shouldn’t expect to get Fried for pennies on the dollar. He’s dealt with injuries in recent years, but Fried is arguably a top-two left-handed pitcher in baseball when he’s at the top of his game.
His contract will reflect that, and deservingly so.
“If not for having the qualifying offer attached to him, Max Fried might be considered the second-best starting pitcher in this free agent class. Between Fried and Blake Snell, teams are picking between two electric southpaws, who can easily lead your rotation. Snell has been a bit more dominant lately, and he does not come with a QO attached. But Fried has been as consistent as they come across his career.
“Whoever lands Fried is getting a pitcher who has a 3.07 career ERA, who has eclipsed 165 innings pitched four times in the last five full seasons since 2019. If the Braves were going to keep Fried, it feels like they would have signed him to an extension by now,”
If the Yankees lost Soto, they’d have more than enough money to pay that deal, which would be about $27.1 million AAV.
Why the Atlanta Braves Are Letting Him Walk
It isn’t out of the question that the Atlanta Braves will re-sign Fried, but many have suggested that it won’t happen.
Braves president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, had nothing but good things to say about his future. Anthopoulos is considered one of the top executives in Major League Baseball, but he doesn’t always hand out big deals.
“We’d love to have him back, but 30 teams would love to have Max Fried, right?” Anthopoulos said in October, according to Anthony DiComo of MLB.com. “We’ll see where that goes. These guys that become great players, rightfully so, they’ve earned the chance [to be free agents]. They become really sought after. But with Max, I’m a big fan.”
Whether it’s because of his injuries or not, the New York Yankees need to do their due diligence.
If the Yankees are confident in him staying healthy, adding Fried, who’s posted a 2.81 ERA, 3.11 FIP, 151 ERA+ 1.09 WHIP, and 624 strikeouts since 2020, would be an excellent move.
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