Unlike Freddie Freeman’s free agency odyssey, Max Fried’s departure from Atlanta was relatively underwhelming.
For more than a year, observers anticipated that the Braves’ pitcher would move for richer pastures, firmly claiming that his excellent performance had priced him out of the team’s budget.
It turns out that those commentators were more accurate than they would have thought. Max Fried received the highest contract ever for a left-handed starting pitcher, at $218 million over eight years, just two days ago. It was a figure the Braves were never going to approach, which may have softened the blow slightly, but there’s no disputing the hole Fried’s departure will leave when Atlanta hits the field on Opening Day next year.
Fried’s leaving has a particular significance for me. I began this website as a college student at LSU ten years ago. One of my first articles discussed a massive transaction that moved Justin Upton to the San Diego Padres. That transaction demonstrated the Braves’ complete commitment to a rebuild. Atlanta received infielder Jace Peterson, the versatile Mallex Smith, and a young left-hander from Harvard-Westlake (California) called Max Fried, who had recently undergone Tommy John surgery.
Over the next few years, the Braves traded almost every notable player to replenish their farm system with youthful talent. Four years later, the renovation paid off as Atlanta recaptured the NL East championship. Fried was at the center of it all, posting a 2.94 ERA in 14 appearances (five starts) throughout the 2018 season.
By 2020, Max Fried had firmly established himself as the Braves’ ace, a position he would maintain for the following half-decade. Despite rare injuries, he made at least 28 starts in three of the last four seasons and has been the MLB’s best pitcher at preventing runs since 2020, with a remarkable 2.81 ERA.
However, Braves fans will remember Max Fried best for his heroics in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series. Atlanta blew a four-run lead in Game 5, giving the Astros momentum as the series returned to Houston. They were a dog that refused to die.
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and this picture requires no explanation.
Max Fried was able to not only recover and continue pitching, but also regroup, prevent any runs from coming in that inning, and go on to pitch six scoreless innings against one of the best offenses of the last decade, leading the Braves to their first World Series win in 2021.
It was ecstasy in Atlanta, and the fresh-faced 21-year-old acquired in a trade for Justin Upton was right in the thick of it.
Another element that distinguishes Max Fried is that he is the only pitching prospect who has made it. Over the last decade, the Braves have gone through several highly rated arms acquired during their rebuilding efforts. Many shown glimpses of brilliance, but few were able to maintain success, frequently succumbing to injuries or inconsistencies—a tribute to the erratic nature of growing pitchers. Nonetheless, Fried climbed above it all, establishing himself as a pillar of the Braves’ success.
What I’ll remember most about Max Fried is his competitive spirit. It was obvious every time he donned the Braves uniform. Fried’s focus was unshakable, whether it was his stone-cold manner in the bench after Jorge Soler’s soaring home run in Game 6 of the World Series, his aggressive approach on the mound, or his unrelenting devotion to self-improvement—such as adding a new pitch almost every offseason. He was very concerned with winning.
It’s what made Max Fried so popular in Braves Country, and while Yankees fans may be questioning the contract he signed, they’ll soon see what we all saw during his eight-year tenure in Atlanta.
Congratulations to Max Fried on an incredible career with the Braves and a well-deserved $218 million contract.
