Yanks add ace Max Fried on record 8-year, $218M deal (source)

December 11th, 2024

DALLAS – The Yankees are open for business with money to spend, pivoting from their pursuit of Juan Soto to land on Tuesday evening on an eight-year, $218 million contract, a source told MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand. The team has not confirmed the agreement.

The pact, which is pending a physical, would be the largest ever issued to a left-handed pitcher and the fourth-largest deal of any pitcher, behind the Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani (10 years, $700 million) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12 years, $325 million) and Yankees right-hander Gerrit Cole (nine years, $324 million).

Fried’s deal will include a full no-trade clause and no deferred money, per Feinsand.

Fried, who turns 31 in January, is envisioned as a formidable No. 2 who could slot behind Cole in a postseason rotation. Though he has pitched to a 5.10 ERA in 20 career postseason games (12 starts), Fried delivered a six-inning gem against the Astros in the deciding Game 6 of the 2021 World Series.

The Blue Jays, Rangers and Red Sox were also known to be in pursuit of Fried; on Tuesday afternoon, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman canceled a scheduled appearance on MLB Network, an indication that bidding was intensifying.

Fried received a seven-year offer from at least one team, according to MLB Network insider Jon Paul Morosi. The Yankees held a Zoom call with Fried (plus a separate session with free-agent right-hander Corbin Burnes) while waiting for an answer from Soto, who agreed Sunday to a record-breaking 15-year, $765 million deal with the Mets.

Last season with the Braves, Fried pitched to an 11-10 record and 3.25 ERA in 29 starts, permitting 146 hits and 57 walks over 174 1/3 innings, with 166 strikeouts. He tied for the MLB lead with two complete games and one shutout.

A two-time All-Star (‘22, ‘24) and three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Fried has dealt with some injuries over the years (his career-high innings total is 185 1/3, in 2022), but he was mostly healthy in ’24.

The seventh overall selection in the 2012 MLB Draft, Fried is a Southern California product who has compiled a career record of 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA across 168 big league games (151 starts), all with the Braves from 2017-24.

Relying heavily on command and spin, Fried has been especially effective since 2020, posting a 2.81 ERA -- the lowest in MLB among pitchers with at least 500 innings in that span (Burnes is second at 2.88). Fried turned down a qualifying offer from the Braves, meaning there is Draft compensation attached to the signing.

The deal comes two years after the Yankees signed left-hander Carlos Rodón to a six-year, $162 million deal, in which they expected him to solidify the top of the rotation behind Cole.

Rodón struggled with injuries in his first season but posted better results this past year, tallying a 19-17 record and 4.74 ERA across his first 46 starts as a Yankee.

With Fried’s acquisition, the Bombers’ rotation currently is comprised of Cole, Fried, Rodón, AL Rookie of the Year Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman.

It is possible that the Yankees may now explore trades involving Cortes, who is arbitration-eligible after earning $3.95 million this past season.

A deal involving Stroman is another possibility; owed $18 million for 2025, he was moved to the bullpen in September and did not appear in the postseason.

With Soto off the board and Fried now in pocket, the Yankees have more to do this offseason, with club brass targeting infielders, outfielders and pitchers.

Manager Aaron Boone said on Tuesday that he is “more than comfortable” with Jazz Chisholm Jr. at third base unless the club brings in an experienced option; the Cardinals are shopping Nolan Arenado and may be a fit, with agent Joel Wolfe saying Tuesday that the 33-year-old Arenado could waive his no-trade clause to approve a deal to a contender.

Free agent Alex Bregman is another slick-fielding possibility for the hot corner, while the Yankees have expressed interest in free agent first baseman Christian Walker and outfielder Teoscar Hernández. In addition, they have contacted the Cubs regarding outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger.

With Clay Holmes having departed for the Mets and Tim Hill, Tommy Kahnle and Jonathan Loáisiga among the Yanks’ free agents, Cashman must work to rebuild a bullpen that shifted on the fly throughout the ’24 campaign.

One leading target is left-hander Tanner Scott, who could take over as the closer while shifting Luke Weaver to a setup role. Boone said he has been an interested observer in the team’s suite at the Hilton Anatole, where executives are fielding ideas and crossing off dead ends.

"There’s a lot of conversations happening,” Boone said. “There’s more than one way to build a team.”