Fastball

Toronto Blue Jays Connected to Free Agent Lefty Max Fried in Recent Report

This would be a somewhat surprising move for Toronto considering the depth of the starting rotation already, but it's certainly not out of the question.

Brady Farkas

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Truist Park in 2024.
Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Truist Park in 2024. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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According to Jon Heyman of the New York Post, the Toronto Blue Jays have inquired about free agent starter Max Fried.

The Orioles, Red Sox and Blue Jays are all in on at least Fried. Boston is looking to upgrade its pitching and they don’t have a lefty, so Fried could make sense.

Now, that doesn't tell you the exact level of interest or the financial limits that Toronto would push to for Fried, but it is interesting nonetheless.

First, the Blue Jays already have five starting pitchers. Jose Berrios, Kevin Gausman and Chris Bassitt make up the top three with breakout star Bowden Francis and Yariel Rodriguez slotting into the next spots. Rodriguez was paid more than $30 million last offseason after coming over from Cuba.

Furthermore, the team has Alek Manoah and Ricky Tiedemann in the organization. Both are rehabbing from injuries.

So what is the Jays' plan here? Do they plan on moving Rodriguez to the bullpen? Are they planning in advance for when Bassitt's deal is up after the season? These are all questions that need to be answered but this at least proves that the Jays are serious about contending in 2025 after finishing last in the American League East in 2024.

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.

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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. 

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