Bidding War: Red Sox, Blue Jays Set to Clash in Pursuit of Top Pitcher
It sounds like the Boston Red Sox are going to have plenty of competition for one of the best starting pitchers on the open market.
Boston is looking to add high-end talent to the top of the starting rotation and ESPN’s Jeff Passan called Atlanta Braves star Max Fried the type of pitcher the Red Sox want to “anchor” their rotation around but also said the Toronto Blue Jays are in on him.
“Max Fried, left-handed starter: He’s exactly the sort of pitcher the Red Sox would like to anchor their rotation as their ascent back to contention begins,” Passan said. “Toronto is in. (The San Francisco Giants) and (Baltimore Orioles) will be part of the mix, too. And don’t forget the (Los Angeles Dodgers), who are targeting at least one high-end starter. Fried, 31 on Opening Day, looks likely to get the second-largest guarantee for a pitcher this winter after posting a major-league-best 2.81 ERA over the past five seasons.”
Fried is going to get paid like a star this winter. Spotrac is projecting him to land a deal worth roughly $136 million over six years. This seems like it could be on the lower side for the All-Star lefty. There will be plenty of teams involved in the bidding war and it sounds like the Red Sox and Blue Jays at least will be in the mix for him.
He’s the exact type of player that could take Boston to another level. Fried has a 3.07 ERA across eight big-league seasons and is a two-time All-Star. It sounds like Boston is ready to spend heavily again, and Fried will be the most interesting player to watch for.
