Yankees' Pursuit of Max Fried Gaining Steam After Initial Meeting

Karl Rasmussen | 6 Hours Ago

Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried tips his hat to the crowd after being removed from a game against the Kansas City Royals. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The New York Yankees are expected to be some of the biggest players in MLB free agency. While the baseball world continues to eagerly await Juan Soto's marquee decision, the Yankees have begun kicking the tires on some of the other top free agents on the market.

According to a report from Michael Kay on The Michael Kay Show on Wednesday, New York had a 90-minute Zoom call with left-handed pitcher Max Fried which went "very well." Kay indicates that "somebody who's on the Fried side" said the lefty "really really" liked the team and that they're already planning another meeting.

Fried, 30, spent the first eight years of his career with the Atlanta Braves. Across 168 career appearances, including 151 starts, the southpaw owns a 3.07 ERA with an 8.8 K/9 and 73 wins. He's a two-time All-Star and finished as the runner-up for the NL Cy Young Award in 2022.

Last year, Fried made 29 starts and recorded a 3.25 ERA with 166 strikeouts and 57 walks across 174 1/3 innings. It marked his fifth consecutive season with an ERA below 3.50.

It's easy to see the appeal from the Yankees' perspective. Fried is widely considered one of the best arms available in free agency and would instantly improve the team's starting rotation, which currently consists of Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Clarke Schmidt and Luis Gil.

Fried would be a massive get for New York, if they're able to agree to terms, and it seems that they've gotten their conversations off on the right foot based on the report from Kay.

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