Fastball

Max Fried's Deal with New York Yankees is Official, Here's When Press Conference Is

Fried agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract with the Yankees last week and he'll be introduced to Yankees fans on Wednesday.

Brady Farkas

Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park on Sept 11.
Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at Nationals Park on Sept 11. / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
In this story:

Update, Dec. 17: After signing an eight-year deal with the New York Yankees, Fried will be introduced at a press conference on Wednesday. The deal is now official and physicals are complete.

The press conference will be at noon on Wednesday.

Tuesday, Dec. 10: 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.

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.

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.

Published |Modified
Brady Farkas
BRADY FARKAS

Brady Farkas is a baseball writer for Fastball on Sports Illustrated/FanNation and the host of 'The Payoff Pitch' podcast which can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Videos on baseball also posted to YouTube. Brady has spent nearly a decade in sports talk radio and is a graduate of Oswego State University. You can follow him on Twitter @WDEVRadioBrady. 

Home/History