Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Free Agency Target Called 'Perfect Fit' For AL East Foe

The New York Yankees could be competing with an AL East foe for the services of this free agent ace.

Grant Young

Sep 16, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Sep 16, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Max Fried (54) throws against the Los Angeles Dodgers in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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Earlier this month, the New York Post's Jon Heyman conveyed that the New York Yankees are making their interest in some of the best free agent aces apparent.

"The Yankees checked on the free-agent ace pitchers — Max Fried, Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell — but it remains uncertain whether they would do Soto and an ace pitcher, too," Heyman wrote.

Snell has since signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, but both Burnes and Fried are still available.

However, these two superstar will be highly sought after by many teams. And in a November 29 article, Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly explained why he believed Fried would be a "perfect fit" for the Baltimore Orioles.

"The Orioles might not ultimately spend quite enough to retain Burnes, but they still need a top-of-the-rotation arm as they try to win a World Series during the Gunnar Henderson-Adley Rutschman Era," Kelly wrote.

"Max Fried would give the Baltimore Orioles an ace, adding to a rotation that includes Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin.

"He did have Tommy John surgery as a prospect in 2014, but he has avoided any major injuries since then," Kelly continued. "And over the last five seasons, he's won three Gold Gloves, made two All-Star Game appearances and posted two top-five finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting as a member of the Braves."

Kelly concluded by writing, "The six-year, $168 million deal we've projected would be less than what it will take to sign Burnes, but it's still a major commitment the O's can spin as a sign they've moved beyond the frugalness of the Angelos Era."

If New York doesn't sign him, Yankees fans would surely prefer Fried stays out of the AL East.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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