Brian Cashman and the Yankees are quickly shifting their focus to Plan B after the Mets signed prized FA Juan Soto. The Yankees sign LHP Max Fried on an 8-year / $218M deal with no opt-outs or deferred money. With none of the remaining free agent bats having anywhere near an impact as Soto, the Yankees are aiming to further bolster a strength of theirs, the starting rotation. Signing Fried allows Cashman to go after bats that may be available via trade due to a surplus of starting pitchers.
Max Fried has spent the first 8 seasons of his career on the Braves, where he was a very effective starting pitcher. During his time in Atlanta, Fried received 3 Gold Glove awards, 2 Top-5 Cy Young seasons, and 2 All Star Selections. With over 880 total innings, his career ERA sits at 3.07 ERA. He also has playoff success, playing a pivotal role in the 2021 World Series win for the Braves. Since 2020, only one other starter has a lower ERA in that period with enough innings to qualify, that being his new teammate Gerrit Cole.
It is still a mystery how the Yankees will attack the rest of the off-season. But what we know for sure is that Fried will slot right behind Cole in a Yankee rotation that should be one of the best.
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