Left-hander Max Fried is among the best pitchers available in the 2024 Major League Baseball free agent sweepstakes.

Fried, who turns 31 in January, is coming off an outstanding year with the Atlanta Braves.

Fried, an All Star in both 2022, and again this past season, had a 2024 record of 11-10, with a 3.25 ERA, and 1.16 WHIP for Atlanta in his 29 starts.

Fried threw two complete games for the Braves, a rare occurrence in MLB. He also threw one shutout in his 174.1 innings on the mound.

Fried is coming off an Atlanta season that paid him $15 million. He will clearly be seeking a long-term contract, with a hefty average annual value.

Fried received a $21.05 qualifying offer from the Braves. He will have until 4PM ET November 19 to accept or reject the offer.

If Fried rejects the qualifying offer, he continues into free agency, and the Braves will get a compensatory draft pick.

About Max Fried:

Max Fried was a 1st round selection of the San Diego Padres in the 2012 MLB draft.

As the No. 7 pick in the draft, Fried signed with the Padres for $3 million,

Fried was signed out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles.

Fried and his high school teammate, Lucas Giolito formed a pair of first round high school players to be drafted in the first round in the same draft. Giolito was picked at No. 16, by the Washington Nationals.

Fried pitched in the Padres minor league development program in 2012, and 2013.

On December 19, 2014, the Padres traded Fried to the Atlanta Braves, in a multiple player deal that sent outfielder Justin Upton to San Diego.

However, Fried missed much of 2014, and all of 2015 while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Fried recovered from his surgery, and developed in the Braves minor league system, until his major league debut at the age of 23, in August 2017.

Fried has pitched parts of eight seasons with the Braves.

In addition to his All Star selections, Fried has won Gold Gloves in 2020, 2021, and 2022.

Fried won a Silver Slugger Award with Atlanta in 2021.

Max Fried On The Mound:

Fried has endured minor injury setbacks since he had Tommy John surgery in July 2014, but nothing serious.

In 2018,, 2019, and 2021 he dealt with blisters on his throwing hand that caused concern.

Fried has also had hamstring injuries, and a forearm strain caused some missed time this past season.

Fried has registered an increase in his four-seam fastball velocity from 93 miles per hour in March 2023, to 95.6 miles per hour in October 2024.

In addition to the four-seam fastball, Fried throws a sinker (95.82 miles per hour) and a slider, changeup, and curveball.

According to brooksbasebal.net, Fried’s repertoire is fairly evenly divided between his five pitches. Here are the percentages of use as explained by brooks.

Four-seam fastball=36%

Sinking fastball=20%

Curveball=18%

Slider=24%

Changeup=2%

Market For Max Fried:

Fried is represented by CAA Sports, a highly regarded, Los Angeles based agency.

Every team in baseball covets a left-handed starting pitcher like Max Fried.

In fact, to this old scout, Fried brings more consistency and value to a team than lefty Blake Snell, who, turns 32 in December.

But Fried and Snell will both get plenty of attention, as will right-handers like Corbin Burnes, Jack Flaherty, and Nathan Eovaldi.

Fried will be looking for more than the $21.05 million qualifying offer for one year. He will likely seek at least a five-year contract, with a value above $22 million annually.

For this scout, the Braves certainly have to be interested in signing Fried. In fact, they are still smarting from not signing first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is coming off a monster Most Valuable Player performance for the Dodgers in the World Series.

Can Atlanta afford to let Fried walk?

Here are other teams this scout believes will make a concerted effort to sign Fried:

Los Angeles Dodgers

New York Mets

Boston Red Sox

Baltimore Orioles

And there will probably be more.

The winner?

Count this writer among those that feel Max Fried returns to Atlanta.