Can the Atlanta Braves afford to keep one of their homegrown stars?
The Braves have developed one of Major League Baseball’s strongest teams by securing the majority of its young, skilled players before they become free agents. However, one of their brightest talents was noticeably absent from the list of contract extensions.
Max Fried, a homegrown starting pitcher who has been one of baseball’s most reliable pitchers over the last half-decade, is now available as a free agency. The Braves might potentially weather the storm of losing him from their rotation, but there’s little doubt he’d help them if he stayed.
Given his Southern California roots, many believe Fried would be a good fit for the Los Angeles Dodgers. But perhaps the Braves should be concerned about an American League opponent willing to spend heavily on pitching this winter.
After finishing 81-81, the Boston Red Sox figure to be in for a major winter, and they sorely need starting pitching. Recently, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report speculated that Boston would sign Fried as their new ace in a major free agent shakeup.
“The Boston Red Sox appear determined to find someone capable of commanding their rotation this offseason. The question, it appears, is not whether they’ll add an ace, but which one,” Buckley stated.
“Fried has finished in the top five for the Cy Young Award twice. (He) would be a huge addition to a team that had some strong starting pitching this season but did not see anyone emerge as a shutdown ace.”
Any club may benefit from Fried, who is a two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glover, and World Series champion. The bigger issue will be Fried’s contract, which Jim Bowden of The Athletic believes will be worth $174 million over six years.
In addition to their pitching requirements, the Red Sox could have a secret weapon in the Fried sweepstakes. Lucas Giolito, Fried’s high school friend, is presently pitching for Boston. They also played alongside fellow free agent Jack Flaherty, who recently won the World Series with the Dodgers.
