Left-Hander Max Fried and Yankees Finalize $218 Million, 8-Year Deal…
The New York Yankees have officially signed left-handed pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract. The agreement, which was reached during last week’s winter meetings, comes after the Yankees missed out on outfielder Juan Soto, who chose a $765 million, 15-year deal with the Mets over the Yankees’ $760 million, 16-year offer.
Fried’s contract is historic, becoming the largest for a left-handed pitcher in MLB history, surpassing David Price’s $217 million, seven-year deal with the Boston Red Sox in 2016 by $1 million.
Yankees manager Aaron Boone praised Fried’s talent and track record, calling him “one of the game’s really good pitchers.” The deal includes a $20 million signing bonus, split evenly between January 2025 and January 2026. Fried will earn $12 million annually for the first two seasons, followed by $29 million per year for the remaining six.
While Yankees fans were initially upset about losing Soto, the team quickly shifted focus to strengthening their pitching rotation. However, Fried does carry some injury concerns. The two-time All-Star has landed on the injured list 10 times since 2018, including at least once in every season.
Fried, a former high school teammate of Jack Flaherty and Lucas Giolito at Harvard-Westlake in Los Angeles, now holds the fourth-highest contract among pitchers. He follows Yoshinobu Yamamoto’s $325 million (12 years), Gerrit Cole’s $324 million (9 years), and Stephen Strasburg’s $245 million (7 years). Strasburg retired after not pitching since 2022.
During negotiations, Yankees staff met with Fried over Zoom. Boone noted Fried’s competitive spirit and dedication, traits that stood out in their discussions.
After spending his first eight MLB seasons with the Atlanta Braves, Fried joins a Yankees rotation that includes Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman. Over the past five seasons, Fried has been exceptional, compiling a 54-25 record with a 2.81 ERA, five complete games, and four shutouts in 112 starts. This season, he was one of just three pitchers to record two complete games, a rarity as there were only 16 total across the league.
A three-time Gold Glove winner, Fried boasts an impressive pitching arsenal with seven different pitches, including a fastball averaging 93.9 mph, curveballs, sinkers, changeups, sweepers, sliders, and cutters. In 2023, he went 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA, striking out 166 batters in 174 1/3 innings, despite missing time with injuries.
Fried’s injury history includes issues with his forearm, fingers, groin, back, and hamstrings, but Boone expressed confidence in his work ethic, preparation, and ability to manage risk.
Originally drafted seventh overall by the San Diego Padres in 2012, Fried underwent Tommy John surgery in 2014 before being traded to Atlanta later that year. After debuting in 2017, he had a breakout year in 2019 (17-6, 4.02 ERA) and excelled during the shortened 2020 season, going 7-0 with a 2.25 ERA. Fried also played a pivotal role in the Braves’ 2021 World Series win, pitching six scoreless innings to clinch Game 6 against Houston. He followed that with a stellar 2022 campaign (14-7, 2.48 ERA) and continued his strong performance in 2023, finishing 8-1 with a 2.55 ERA in 14 starts.
