The Atlanta Braves have quite an important offseason ahead of them. Following huge expectations coming into 2024, the Braves fell flat on their faces during the regular season. The team experienced down years across the board and a plethora of injuries. This winter is so important for the Braves because it’s the time to build the roster back to what everybody thought it would be heading into 2024. Unfortunately, not only are the Braves not projecting to move forward, many analysts are projecting them to take steps backwards.

David Schoenfield of ESPN recently predicted coveted Braves free agent Max Fried to ditch Atlanta this offseason. Schoenfield predicts Fried will sign a six-year, $175 million deal with the Boston Red Sox, where he would reunite with high school teammate Lucas Giolito.

“Or they could just sign a top-of-the rotation starter. The rotation was solid enough in 2024, ranking seventh in the majors in ERA, but Tanner Houck was the only regular with an ERA under 4.00, and Nick Pivetta is a free agent,” Schoenfield wrote. “None of their starters are left-handed, however, and Fried is a good fit for Fenway Park since he induces grounders so often.”

Fried has long been a target of the Red Sox. Boston is very clearly targeting left handed pitching, so its top options left on the market are Fried and Chicago White Sox starter Garrett Crochet.

If you’re asking me, the better of the two is clearly Fried, while he also provides more stability and wouldn’t cost any top prospects. For the Braves, losing Fried without replacing him with another ace caliber pitcher would be a disaster. Atlanta already struggled with pitching depth in 2024 as it was.