Max Fried on the move: Three potential destination
Atlanta Braves left-handed pitcher Max Fried has been one of the most consistent pitchers in baseball over the last five seasons, posting an ERA of 3.25 or better in each of those seasons.
Fried is a two-time All-Star (2022, 2024) and has twice finished Top 5 in Cy Young voting (2020, 2022). He will certainly be looking to bounce back from a not-so-great 2024 season.
Although the ERA (3.25)was in a fine place, Fried posted a record of 11-10 and had a season-worst start in the postseason, lasting just two innings, allowing eight hits and giving up five earned runs to the Padres.
Fried is now a free agent and many potential suitors will be prepared to give him a nice contract to become the ace of their rotation. Here are the three most likely teams to have Fried on their roster when the 2025 season begins.
Atlanta Braves
Fried has been with the Braves since he made his MLB debut in 2017.
Re-signing Fried and keeping him in Atlanta should be the main focus of the offseason for the Braves. The southpaw has shown up on the biggest stages when Atlanta has needed him, including as the winning pitcher in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series.
Bringing Fried back to pair with Spencer Strider at the top of the rotation could put Atlanta in good position to reach the postseason for the eighth consecutive season.
Los Angeles Dodgers
The 2024 World Series Champions are always in the market for star players, and Fried will likely be near the top of the Dodgers list of players to sign.
A Fried addition could have a massive impact for Los Angeles. Fried is in the 96th percentile in ground-ball rate at 59.6%, while Dodger Stadium was responsible for the 2nd most homeruns in 2024 with 122, just six behind the 128 allowed at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati.
Adding a pitcher that keeps the ball on the ground would be huge for Los Angeles and would potentially help lower a team ERA that ranked 13th in 2024.
Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report pinpoints Los Angeles as the best landing spot for Fried, as the Dodgers need a left-hander to balance out the rest of the rotation in 2025 which will include Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Tyler Glasnow.
New York Mets
The divisional rival of the Atlanta Braves scooping up its former ace is likely a move that the New Mets would be willing to make.
New York could lose three starting pitchers in the offseason. Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and Luis Severino are all hitting free agency, so the Mets have work to do to square away the rotation for 2025.
Taking Fried away from the Braves would be a huge get for owner Steve Cohen. New York’s main priority is to add to its offense by adding Juan Soto and bringing back Pete Alonso. Signing Fried to sure up the pitching staff would make the Mets a huge contender in the NL.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic has predicted the Mets to sign not only Max Fried but also Corbin Burnes to add into the rotation with Kodai Senga.
There are a couple of other teams that will be able to put in a good offer for Fried. Teams like the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs will have interest in Fried and putting him atop of their rotation for the 2025 season.
