Just days after losing the top hitter on the free-agent market, the New York Yankees have landed the top left-handed pitcher.
They signed two-time All-Star Max Fried, soon to turn 31, on an eight-year, $218 million contract that becomes official if he passes a physical.
Paired with holdover right-hander Gerrit Cole, a former Cy Young Award winner, Fried gives the Yankees a powerful left-right tandem at the top of their rotation. He also continues a team tradition of strong southpaw starters that dates back to Hall of Famer Whitey Ford but also includes current Cooperstown candidates CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte.
To get Fried, the Yankees had to engage in their second bidding war of the week.
After losing Juan Soto to the crosstown Mets Tuesday, the Yankees added an eighth year to their original offer, according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network. Contract terms were reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.
Because the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers were also finalists for Fried, according to Joel Sherman of The New York Post, the Yankees reached deep into their coffers to secure the pitcher's signature. He wound up with more years and more money than Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who signed last month with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
That signing may have knocked Fried, a Santa Monica native, out of a reunion with former Atlanta teammate Freddie Freeman, most recently the World Series MVP whose home run heroics gave the Dodgers the 2024 world championship over the Yankees in five games.
Fried, a control artist known for keeping the ball in the park, will earn an annual average salary of $27.25 million per year. No money is deferred and there are no opt-outs included.
Because Fried rejected a qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves, his only major-league team to date, the Yankees will lose their second and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 amateur draft plus $1 million in international bonus pool money.
But owner Hal Steinbrenner had to soothe the angst of Yankee fans disappointed that he couldn't extend Soto, who hit a career-best 41 home runs last season.
Fried will join a rotation headed by Cole and American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. After that, the choices range from Carlos Rodon, like Fried a left-hander, plus righties Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt.
The team still needs help at other positions, however, with only shortstop Anthony Volpe a sure thing in the infield and only American League MVP Aaron Judge certain to start in the outfield.
The money the Yankees saved by losing Soto could be used to address those concerns.
Fried, whose first full season as a starter was 2019, has crafted an excellent 3.07 earned run average in 824 2/3 innings pitched since then. He is 73-36 over eight seasons in the majors.
Even with the Fried signing, the Yankees have a projected payroll of $257 million, according to Roster Resource, trailing the Mets and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Now that Fried has agreed to terms, the top free agent market in the market is Corbin Burnes, a former Cy Young Award winner most recently with the Baltimore Orioles. His asking price has probably jumped because in the wake of the Fried signing.
Fried's former team, the Braves, were never serious bidders. Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos has a reputation for extending position players out of fear that pitchers are injured more often.
In fact, Spener Strider, the only young Braves arm to get a long-term deal missed most of the 2024 season after an elbow injury spotted after two starts.
Atlanta's probable pitchers for next season include veteran lefty Chris Sale, coming off an 18-win season that produced his first Cy Young Award; fellow veteran Reynaldo Lopez, who made a successful conversion from reliever to starter; and youngsters Spencer Schwellenbach and Strider.
Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, erstwhile All-Star Bryce Elder, and rookies AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.
After winning a surprise world championship in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the final round again. The Yankees last won a World Series in 2009.