Two-time All-Star Max Fried and the New York Yankees agreed to an eight-year, $218 million contract, sources advised ESPN on Tuesday, the biggest assure for a left-handed pitcher.
The deal, which is pending a bodily, is the twelfth contract of at the very least $100 million the Yankees have given out in franchise historical past, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers for essentially the most by any workforce.
Fried, 30, who blossomed into top-of-the-line pitchers within the Nationwide League over seven years with the Braves, is a two-time All-Star with a 2.81 ERA over the previous 5 seasons in Atlanta — tops within the majors, simply forward of Corbin Burnes (2.88) amongst MLB beginning pitchers over that span.
Although he doesn’t overwhelm hitters together with his uncooked stuff, his artistry on the mound and his skill to go deep into video games had been engaging to groups looking for an Opening Day-type starter.
“He is one of many sport’s actually, actually good pitchers and has a extremely good monitor document now of success,” Yankees supervisor Aaron Boone mentioned Wednesday. “He is a particular expertise.”
The Yankees made the transfer for Fried — who was additionally pursued by the Boston Pink Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers — two days after outfielder Juan Soto left for the rival Mets on the biggest contract in skilled sports activities historical past.
Fried joins one of many deepest rotations in baseball, which already contains Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman.
His $218 million deal exceeds that of David Worth, who signed with the Pink Sox for $217 million in 2015. Worth and the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw ($215 million) are the one different left-handed pitchers to obtain $200 million contracts.
Although Fried’s profession contains up-and-down postseason performances, it is inconceivable to neglect his six shutout innings in Atlanta’s World Sequence-clinching Recreation 6 in 2021. He arrived in Atlanta because the headliner in a commerce for Justin Upton after present process Tommy John surgical procedure following two disappointing seasons in San Diego’s farm system.
He is had prior IL stints for a blister on the center finger of his pitching hand and strained left groin (2018), blister on left index finger (2019), muscle spasm on left aspect of again (2020), strained proper hamstring (2021), concussion (2022) and strained left hamstring, strained left forearm and blister on left index finger (2023).
“There’s inherent dangers,” Boone mentioned, “however we really feel like he is a extremely good pitcher and the best way he goes about it, prepares, trains, we really feel like he is doing every thing he can to be a man that is in a position to constantly go to the publish.”
The No. 7 decide within the 2012 draft, Fried projected as a basic spin-heavy left-hander whose command can be his greatest energy.
That proved prophetic. Fried’s finest pitches are his curveball and his slider, and whereas fashions regard his fastball as beneath common, his command of it — and his skill to combine pitches — has introduced him continued success. Over the previous 5 years, Baseball Reference has him third amongst all pitchers in WAR and FanGraphs eleventh.
The largest query concerning Fried is whether or not he can evolve into the rarest type of starter: productive and prolific. His career-high innings whole, 185⅓, got here in 2022.
In 2024, with Braves co-ace Spencer Strider out after Tommy John surgical procedure, Fried posted a 3.25 ERA in 174⅓ innings, struck out 166, walked 57, gave up solely 13 dwelling runs and led MLB with a pair of full video games. His year-by-year ERAs over the 4 earlier seasons: 2.25, 3.04, 2.48 and a pair of.55.
ESPN Analysis and The Related Press contributed to this report.