Braves All-Star certain to leave team next offseason?
Oct 29, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves fans in the Battery prior to game three of the 2021 World Series against the Houston Astros at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
2024 may be the last hurrah in Atlanta for one veteran pitcher.
MLB insider Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic said this week on his “Foul Territory” podcast that he expects Braves lefty Max Fried to leave as a free agent next winter.
“Fried, in my opinion, is almost certain to leave as a free agent in [2025],” said Rosenthal, per SportsTalkATL. “He’s going to be priced out of where the Braves want to be.”
The 29-year-old Fried is still a stud on the mound. He went 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 2023 (albeit in only 14 starts due to various injuries). Prior to that, Fried was an All-Star and the NL Cy Young runner-up on the strength of his 14-7 2022 campaign.
But as Fried nears his free agency next offseason, the Braves, who already have over $205 million on payroll for 2025, are essentially maxed out on cash. Meanwhile, Spencer Strider, signed through 2029, is the clear ace of Atlanta’s staff, and the Braves just brought in (and subsequently extended) another standout lefty as well.
That could leave Fried, who also starred on Atlanta’s 2021 World Series team, in a situation of having to get his payday from another team. Fried was the subject of trade rumors around this time last year, and now it is really looking like next season could be his last dance in The Peach State.
