Max Fried and the Yankees reportedly had a Zoom meeting that went “very well.”
Fried, 30, spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves. In 168 career appearances, including 151 starts, the southpaw has a 3.07 ERA, 8.8 K/9, and 73 wins. He is a two-time All-Star and was the National League Cy Young Award runner-up in 2022.
Last year, Fried made 29 starts and had a 3.25 ERA, 166 strikeouts, and 57 walks in 174 1/3 innings. It was his fifth consecutive season with an ERA less than 3.50.
It’s easy to see the appeal from the Yankees’ standpoint. Fried is largely regarded as one of the best arms available in free agency, and he would immediately enhance the team’s starting rotation, which currently includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt, and Luis Gil.
Fried would be a huge acquisition for New York if they can reach an agreement, and based on Kay’s report, they appear to have started off on the right foot.
