Max Fried Makes Baseball History with Massive New York Yankees Contract

Fried agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees on Tuesday, setting a record among left-handed pitchers.

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Truist Park on Sept 16. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Left-handed pitcher Max Fried agreed to an eight-year contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday afternoon, becoming the highest-paid left-hander in baseball history.

Jeff Passan of ESPN had the news on social media:

BREAKING: Left-hander Max Fried and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a eight-year, $218 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest guarantee in baseball history for a left-handed pitcher.

BREAKING: Left-hander Max Fried and the New York Yankees are in agreement on a eight-year, $218 million contract, pending physical, sources tell ESPN. It is the largest guarantee in baseball history for a left-handed pitcher.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 10, 2024

Fried, along with Blake Snell and Corbin Burnes, was one of the most sought-after pitchers on the free agent market this year. Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers while Burnes has yet to make a decision. Fried also received strong interest from the Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox, the rivals of the Yankees.

The 30-year-old Fried will pitch next season at the age of 31. He's coming off a year in which he made 29 starts for Atlanta, going 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA. An eight-year veteran, he helped the Braves win the World Series in 2021. He is also a two-time All-Star and a three-time Gold Glover.

Fried has been generally durable throughout his career, making 28 starts or more in three of the last four seasons. He also made 11 in the pandemic-shortened 2020 as the Braves made the playoffs.

With the Yankees, Fried will join a rotation with Gerrit Cole and Carlos Rodon at the top. Luis Gil and Clarke Schmidt figure to round out the five, with Marcus Stroman appearing as the odd-man out. Nestor Cortes could also be a trade candidate now, unless he surpasses Schmidt for the fifth spot.

David Price had the previous record-high contract for a lefty at seven years for $217 million.

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