Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos Casts Doubt on Max Fried Return

Alex Anthopoulos spoke highly of Max Fried but nothing indicated that the lefty will be re-signed shortly

Atlanta Braves general manager knows Fried will have plenty of suitors on the open market. Mandatory Credit: Denis Poroy-Imagn Images / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

What might have been Max Fried’s final season in an Atlanta Braves uniform has come to a close. 

Ideally, general manager Alex Anthopoulos would love to keep him around. He didn't just have positive comments for Fried in Friday's press conference. He spoke of Fried like he is a franchise cornerstone player.

“He’s been a partner in a lot of ways,” he said. “Forget that he’s a two-time all-star and one of the best lefties in the game. The way he’s carried himself, the way he’s handled himself in the community, with us in the front office, obviously the players and coaching staff, I think really highly of him and I admire him.” 

But he also added a comment that didn't exactly instill confidence that Fried will return in 2025. The Braves want him to stick around but he’s going to be highly sought after. 

“We’d love to have him back, but 30 teams would love to have Max Fried,” Anthopoulos said. 

That type of comment can mean a couple things. It’s Anthopoulos keeping his cards close to his chest while also preparing everyone for the possibility that he’s gone. He can’t guarantee anything, even if the plans are to bring him back. Anthopoulos knows he still has to negotiate with Fried. He doesn’t want to say anything that could negatively impact his chances of re-signing him. 

Every thing is being carefully worded.

That being said, it's obvious there’s no deal coming shortly. They would’ve been quick to make that public. 

"If we would’ve had an announcement, we would’ve had it,” Anthopoulos said. “We’ll just see how the offseason goes, but Max, I'm a big fan."

Nothing points to Fried being signed at any moment. There shouldn't be either. The 30-year-old lefty knows he might only get one chance to be a team's big splash in free agency, and the Braves are taking that into account.

Fried will officially be a free agent the day after the World Series. There will be a five-day window of exclusivity for teams to negotiate or re-negotiate with free agents. After that, he can hear any offer he wants.

In 29 starts in 2024, Fried had a 3.25 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP with 166 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings pitched. He made his second all-star game this season. Fried also has a unique ability for the modern game, and that’s the ability to pitch deep into ballgames. He had two complete games this season and pitched at least seven innings in 10 of his starts. 

If he wasn’t hurt for part of the summer, he likely would have pitched closer to, if not reached, 200 innings this season. That's going to be valuable to every team, even in the era of playing matchups with bullpen arms.

According to Spotrac, Fried has a market value of $22.7 million and would net a six-year contract for a total of around $136 million. That’s a number that could be outbid past pretty quickly in practice, but if that’s what the Braves can get him for, it’s pretty reasonable to think they’d pull the trigger on that deal.