Among all of the major free agents this winter, Max Fried may have the fewest reliable rumors about his market.
We know the Atlanta Braves want to keep Fried, but the actual state of discussions has not been published. The majority of the other conjecture around Fried has focused on potential squad fits rather than proven interest from clubs.
The Yankees are one of Fried’s more frequent connections this offseason. New York is certainly eager to make moves this offseason, albeit the most of the discussion has focused on the Juan Soto sweepstakes. Nonetheless, Fried’s meeting with the Evil Empire in New York has been referenced several times, but little has happened until now.
According to Yankees play-by-play announcer Michael Kay, the Yankees met with Fried via Zoom, and not only was it a lengthy call that “went very well,” but the two sides agreed to meet again soon.
Braves Rumors: Max Fried and the Yankees have met and clearly have a mutual interest in one another
Well, this is terrible. Unfortunately, the concept of Fried departing the Braves isn’t that startling. There was no indication that the Braves and Fried were near in any extension talks throughout the season; Atlanta has been known to let players walk in the past if the bidding exceeds their comfort level, and Fried will command a sizable contract as one of the best arms available. What sucks is that he could end up wearing pinstripes, which would make most Braves fans’ stomachs turn.
However, the timing of this announcement is somewhat unusual. The Yankees look to be quite interested in signing Soto, which will necessitate a very large contract. New York has plenty of money to spend, but signing both Soto and Fried seems unlikely. Perhaps the Yankees are just trying to cause problems for the rival Red Sox in the starting pitching (and Soto) market, or they are merely putting contingencies in place in case Soto signs somewhere else.
Whatever the circumstances, Kay’s facts are a little too exact to entirely disregard, even though they have yet to be independently verified or discounted. The sad truth for Braves fans is that Fried, whether to the Yankees or another team, appears to be getting closer to formally leaving Atlanta.
