Braves FA Max Fried Reportedly Had Zoom Call with AL East Team

Atlanta Braves free agent starter Max Fried reportedly had a call with a powerhouse AL East team that left a good impression

Fried continues to draw interest from the AL East / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The push for Atlanta Braves free agent starter Max Fried is experiencing a push from American League East teams. 

According to Yankees broadcaster Michael Kay, the Yankees had a 90-minute Zoom call with Fried on Tuesday. The word is that it went “very well.” 

The Yankees had a 90-minute Zoom call with Max Fried on Tuesday that went “very well,” according to @RealMichaelKay. pic.twitter.com/cRUOhqLBJd

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) December 4, 2024

It’s not the first of hearing that the Yankees are interested in Fried. 

The Boston Red Sox were reported to make a push for Fried after they missed out on Blake Snell - he signed a five-year, $182 million deal with the Dodgers. 

Along with the Red Sox, the New York Post’s Jon Heyman wrote that the Orioles and Blue Jays were in the fray for the 30-year-old lefty. So, apart from the Tampa Bay Rays, the entire division is in on him. 

At this point, it doesn’t seem like the Braves are going to get Fried, barring a sudden change of events. The list of teams in on him is starting to get a bit clearer. 

Apart from the news that Fried rejected his qualifying offer - one year, $21.05 million - there haven’t been any rock-solid reports.

In 168 appearances, 151 of those being starts, he has a 3.07 ERA with a 1.16 WHIP and 863 strikeouts. He’s made two all-star games, won three Gold Gloves and has received Cy Young Award votes twice. He was the runner-up to Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara for the Cy Young in 2022. 

Fried’s projected market value is a six-year deal worth around $136 million, according to Spotrac. However, it’s likely he’s going to net more than that. Some insider projections put it closer to $174 million. Here on Braves on SI, we had it up toward $180 million.