The Boston Red Sox concluded their 2024 season with a break-even 81-81 record, marking their third consecutive season without a winning record. Craig Breslow, the president of baseball operations, has expressed a strong interest in upgrading the team’s starting rotation, as noted in a recent interview with The Athletic. One potential fit for the Red Sox could be veteran Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried. Matt Johnson from Sportsnaut predicted potential contracts and destinations for 10 MLB free agents, suggesting Fried might join Boston on a six-year, $172 million deal—significantly higher than Spotrac’s projected market value of six years at $136 million.
Fried is expected to be among the top pitchers available in this offseason’s free-agent market, which could lead to competitive bidding and an increase in his contract price. The 30-year-old left-hander has spent his entire eight-year MLB career with Atlanta, boasting an impressive 73-36 record, a 3.07 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and 863 strikeouts over 884.1 innings. He has recorded at least 11 wins in a season on four occasions and hasn’t had a season ERA above 3.25 since 2019, when it was 4.02 during his first full season as a starter.
Fried’s career highlights include two All-Star selections, three Gold Glove Awards, and a 2021 World Series championship. If the Red Sox secure him, it would enhance a rotation that already performed well in 2024, finishing with the seventh-best ERA in the majors at 3.81.
