By The Associated Press’ Ronald Blum
Dallas Max Fried won the World Series clinching for the Atlanta Braves in 2021, and the New York Yankees hope he pitches like that again.
A source familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press that Fried agreed to sign a $218 million, eight-year contract with the Yankees on Tuesday, two days after the team lost Juan Soto to the rival Mets.
Fried’s contract, which is $1 million more than David Price’s seven-year deal with the Boston Red Sox ahead of the 2016 season, is the biggest for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history. Because the deal had not been finalized, the person who talked to the AP on condition of anonymity stated that Fried’s agreement, which was originally reported by ESPN, was contingent upon a successful physical.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone stated on Wednesday that he is one of the game’s truly exceptional pitchers and has a strong record of success. He has a unique talent.
Half of Fried’s $20 million signing bonus is due on January 31, 2025, while the remaining half is due on January 31, 2026. In the first two seasons, his salary is $12 million, and in the next six, it is $29 million.
After Soto chose the Mets’ $765 million, 15-year offer over the Yankees’ $760 million, 16-year offer, Yankees supporters became irate. After that, the Yankees switched their budget to starting pitching, even if Fried carries some risk: Since 2018, the two-time All-Star has spent at least one season on the injured list ten times.
Fried receives the fourth-highest contract among pitchers, behind Yoshinobu Yamamoto of the Los Angeles Dodgers ($325 million for 12 years through 2035), Gerrit Cole of the Yankees ($324 million for nine years through 2028), and Stephen Strasburg of Washington ($245 million for seven years through 2026). Fried was a high school teammate of Jack Flaherty and Lucas Giolito at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles. Strasburg is retired and hasn’t pitched since 2022.
During the discussions, Fried met with Yankees staff via Zoom.
Boone stated, “It’s clear from watching him from a distance over the past few years that this is a guy who really competes well on the mound, and that came across in our meeting with him.”
Fried, who spent his first eight seasons with the Braves, is now part of a rotation that also includes Cole, Carlos Rodn, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes, and Marcus Stroman, which increases the likelihood of further transfers. On the day that Rodn turned 32 and Cortes turned 30, he came to the agreement.
Fried, a three-time Gold Glove winner who turns 31 on January 18, throws seven different pitches, making him one of the major leagues’ most versatile pitchers. This season, he threw his fastball 33.6% of the time and averaged 93.9 mph. 21% curveballs, 15.6% sinkers, 13.6% changeups, 5.9% sweepers, 5.6% sliders, and 4.7% cutters were all blended in by Fried.
During his 29 starts this season, he went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA, walking a career-high 57 and striking out 166 in 174 1/3 innings. Fried was placed on the injured list for the seventh consecutive season due to left forearm neuritis.
A blister on his pitching hand’s middle finger and a strained left groin (2018), blister on his left index finger (2019), muscle spasm on the left side of his back (2020), strained right hamstring (2021), concussion (2022), and strained left hamstring, strained left forearm, and blister on his left index finger (2023) were among his previous IL stints.
Max Fried, a free agent left-hander, was named to the 2022 and 2024 All-Star team.AP
We think he’s a really good pitcher, and the way he trains and prepares, we think he’s doing everything he can to be a guy who can go to the post consistently, even though there are inherent risks, Boone said.
San Diego selected Fried eighth overall in the 2012 amateur draft. In August 2014, he underwent Tommy John surgery, and in December 2014, he was moved to the Braves as part of a six-player trade that sent Justin Upton, an outfielder, to the Padres.
He was optioned to the lower leagues five times in 2018 after making his major league debut in August 2017.
Fried finished seventh in the National League Cy Young Award voting after going 17-6 with a 4.02 ERA in 2019 and 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
After pitching six scoreless innings to defeat Houston in Game 6 of the World Series in 2021, he finished 14-7 with a 3.04 ERA. In 2022, he was selected to his first All-Star squad with a 2.48 ERA. In 2023, Fried made 14 starts and finished 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA.
Link: https://apnews.com/mlb AP MLB
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