The biggest free agent contract the Braves have ever given out was to Marcell Ozuna, who inked a four-year, $65 million deal in 2021. So, it was always a long shot when Max Fried was getting courted by the prettiest girls at the dance.
Eventually, Fried signed the richest contract ever for a southpaw, agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million contract to join the Yankees. It’s the kind of deal that can effectively sink an organization during a championship window, but not New York.
Much like the Dodgers and Mets, the Yankees can afford to hand out these kind of albatross contracts. They have far greater funds available compared to the Braves, or any other franchise for that matter. However, Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report still believes it’s one of the 10 most likely nightmare contracts by 2027.
“It is nonetheless worth noting that the ZiPS projection system values Fried’s next eight seasons at just $120 million. That’s roughly half what he’ll get from the Yankees, and it’s not even surprising.
For one thing, Fried comes with some injury risk. He had Tommy John surgery as a prospect, and amid the minor injuries he’s had as a major leaguer are two more alarming ones: a forearm strain that cost him three months in 2023 and another forearm issue last year.”
Fried is coming off a campaign in which he threw 174.1 innings with a 3.25 ERA, a bit down from the expectations that he’d set previously, but still elite nonetheless. The injury issues are warranted, but in this day and age, every pitcher comes with risk.
After the 2027 season, the Yankees will owe 33-year-old Max Fried $189 million over six years. It’s a lot of money, but for several reasons, I don’t hate it. First, as mentioned earlier, the Yanks can overcome a bad apple of a contract.
More than that though, Max Fried is the kind of pitcher that ages like a fine wine. He’s not reliant on any one offering and is more like an artist that refines his craft each offseason. Even when Fried eventually loses a step, he’ll have more than enough to still compete at a high level.
But more than anything, as Rymer notes, if the Yanks win a World Series with the help of Max Fried, the contract will be worth it.
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Photo: Jeff Robinson/Icon Sportswire
