With free agency looming, Fried laser-focused on '24

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Max Fried knows that his impending free agency will remain a storyline throughout what could be his final season with the Braves. But as he exits Spring Training, he is just looking forward to remaining healthy and re-establishing himself as a legitimate Cy Young Award candidate.

“I think any time that you miss time during the season and you have to watch your teammates from home, it’s a tough, tough pill to swallow,” Fried said. “So, I made it a big part of my routine and my regimen to be in the best shape I can possibly be to withstand all of that. I want to make every start and be out there with my teammates.”

Fried immortalized himself as a postseason hero with his determined performance in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series. He further endeared himself to Braves fans when he finished second in National League Cy Young Award balloting in 2022. But his hope to build upon these successful seasons disappeared last year, when he spent most of the season’s first four months on the injured list.

A hamstring strain on Opening Day cost him a few weeks and left forearm inflammation cost him a few months. But aside from a blister that developed in late September, he remained healthy during last year’s final two months, and he pitched a full Spring Training this year without any issues.

Fried completed his Grapefruit League season with a scheduled three-inning outing in a 5-5 tie against the Red Sox on Sunday afternoon at JetBlue Park. The veteran left-hander allowed five hits and issued three walks, but limited his damage to two runs with the help of two double play groundouts.

“It was actually kind of nice,” Fried said. “It felt like there were some things I was out of sync with. Getting in some bases-loaded jams and having to make some pitches was good for me to be able to do that. It was a nice little tune-up.”

Fried’s next start will come on Saturday in Philadelphia. He stands with A.J. Minter and Ozzie Albies as the only current Braves who have played during each of the past seven seasons for Atlanta. Each of these three players debuted in 2017, the year before the club won the first of its six straight National League East crowns.

Fried was a significant component of the team’s massive rebuild, and he has proven to be a key asset through one of the most successful stretches in franchise history. He’ll always be celebrated for the six scoreless innings he delivered after his right ankle was crushed in the first inning of Game 6 of the 2021 World Series.

But as the recent free-agent exits of Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson have shown, even the most popular and successful players occasionally have to say goodbye. Fried will be eligible for free agency at the end of this season. But he says this won’t be a distraction.

“That is something that is so far in the future,” Fried said. “I've got hopefully 33-plus starts with the playoffs and stuff like that. You’ve got to have a very clichéd, one start or one day at time mentality. Whatever happens whenever that time comes, I’ll deal with it.”

If Fried makes 30-plus starts this year, he’ll be a top free agent.

Fried, who turned 30 in January, has posted a 2.71 ERA and a 3.02 FIP while making 72 starts over the past three seasons. He finished fifth in NL Cy Young balloting in 2020 and second in 2022.

The Phillies gave Aaron Nola a seven-year, $172 million ($24.6M AAV) deal this past winter. Nola, who will be in 31 in June, has posted a 4.09 ERA over 96 starts since the start of 2021. But he has been more durable than Fried within this span.

Carlos Rodón hasn’t been nearly as durable or effective as Fried, but he still received a six-year, $162 million ($27M AAV) deal from the Yankees before the 2023 season.

Fried’s future with the Braves will likely be determined next winter. But his legacy with the organization could be further enriched during what has the makings of another successful season.

“We have a very determined and talented group, and no one seems to be satisfied or coasting,” Fried said. “Everyone is making sure they're as prepared as possible to go into this year knowing what we want to achieve.”