Days after the New York Yankees lost Juan Soto to cross-town rival the New York Mets, the Yanks signed former Atlanta Braves left-handed ace Max Fried. Fried has signed a historic 8-year $218 million deal. This is the largest deal for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history. Fried will join Gerrit Cole at the top of the Yankees rotation. This will be New York’s record-breaking 12th contract worth over 100 million in team history surpassing the tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Fried Makes History With Yankees
Max Fried played his first seven seasons with the Atlanta Braves, where he won a World Series and became one of the league’s best pitchers. This is also the longest deal a left-handed pitcher has ever received. Since 2020, he has the lowest ERA in Major League Baseball with a tremendous 2.81. He led the Braves to a World Series in 2021. He joins the likes of David Price and Clayton Kershaw to become the third left-handed pitcher in history to ink a deal over 200 million dollars.
The Yankees continue to be in one of the toughest divisions in baseball, with what seems like every team in the mix every year. Fried has a career record of 73-36 with a career 3.01 ERA. The one-two punch of Cole and Fried will automatically make the Yankees one of the favorites in the American League. The Yankees made it to the World Series this past season and lost to the Dodgers. They are hoping Fried will put them over the hump to bring the Bronx Bombers their 28th championship.
Final Thoughts
The Yankees are always going to Yankee with having some of the largest contracts and biggest payroll in baseball. After losing Juan Soto to free agency and the reported deal the Yankees offered, it doesn’t surprise anyone that they would make a move like this. Fried will bring more stability to the rotation, and the pairing with Cole will make them an extremely tough out in a short playoff series.
The veteran presence and playoff experience are a plus, too. The only thing I question is whether giving a 30-year-old pitcher an eight-year deal could wind up costly down the road, but we’re not there yet. Fried is one of baseball’s elite pitchers and will give the Yankees consistency in the rotation. It will be interesting to see if the Yankees make any other splash moves this offseason to try to win another World Series.
