Yankees make it official as Max Fried becomes MLB’s highest-paid left-hander
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Follow UsA day after concerns emerged regarding a potential delay in Max Fried’s signing, the New York Yankees officially announced his arrival. Fried, one of baseball’s premier starting pitchers, has agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract. The deal, confirmed Tuesday, includes a full no-trade clause with no opt-outs or deferrals.
Is Max Fried Juan Soto’s replacement?
The Yankees’ acquisition of Max Fried comes on the heels of missing out on star outfielder Juan Soto. Soto signed a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets earlier this week. As part of their shift to Plan B, the Yankees made Fried the highest-paid left-handed pitcher in MLB history.
Max Fried becomes the third key player from the Atlanta Braves’ 2021 World Series-winning team to leave in free agency, following Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson. The left-hander notably delivered in that title-clinching Game 6 against the Houston Astros, tossing six shutout innings and striking out six at Minute Maid Park.
While Max Fried’s innings count has been his only drawback—surpassing 180 innings just once—his results are undeniable. From 2020 to 2023, Fried posted a 2.66 ERA across nearly 500 innings with outstanding underlying metrics.
Even in what was considered a down year in 2024, Max Fried finished with a 3.25 ERA over 29 starts and 174 1/3 innings. Entering his age-31 season, he remains one of the top pitchers in the game.
The Braves originally acquired Fried in December 2014 as a prospect in the Justin Upton trade with the San Diego Padres. Atlanta will receive a compensatory draft pick for his departure after Fried rejected their qualifying offer.
Yankees’ rotation outlook after Max Fried’s arrival
The addition of Max Fried significantly bolsters an already formidable Yankees rotation, giving the team one of the most balanced and dangerous pitching staffs in the league. The current projected starting five looks like Gerrit Cole as RHP, LHP Carlos Rodón, RHP Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil, with Max Fried seamlessly adding another LHP alongside Rodón to strengthen the left-handed presence.
- RHP Gerrit Cole
- LHP Max Fried
- LHP Carlos Rodon
- RHP Clarke Schmidt
- RHP Luis Gil
With Marcus Stroman still in the mix as viable options, the Yankees not only gain much-needed rotational depth but also valuable trade flexibility heading into the rest of the offseason. This surplus of pitching talent gives the Yankees the leverage to address other roster needs while maintaining a rotation that can compete at the highest level.
What Max Fried means for the Yankees
The Yankees managed to win the AL East and the AL pennant in 2024 despite missing significant time from ace Gerrit Cole. Adding Fried to the rotation alongside Cole, Rodon, and Schmidt significantly enhances their title prospects. If the team can avoid injuries and see full seasons from their top arms, the Yankees’ rotation may rank among the league’s best in 2025.
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This article was obviously written as soon as Fried had agreed to a contract, and just pasted it after the Yankees made the signing official. I didn’t know Nasty Nestor was still on the Yankees?