Left-handed pitcher Max Fried officially declined the Braves’ qualifying offer on Tuesday, a move widely expected as part of standard procedure. Despite this, the Braves remain interested in negotiating with Fried during free agency.
The qualifying offer, a one-year contract worth $21.05 million, was not anticipated to be accepted by Fried, who is pursuing a multi-year deal in free agency. Of the 13 players across MLB who received qualifying offers this offseason, only Nick Martinez of the Reds accepted.
By extending the qualifying offer, the Braves ensured they would receive draft pick compensation if Fried signs with another team. The 30-year-old pitcher is considered one of the top four starters on the market, alongside Corbin Burnes, Roki Sasaki, and Blake Snell.
Fried is coming off his second All-Star season, finishing 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA over 29 starts. However, injuries have been a recurring issue for him, including left forearm neuritis that sidelined him in July. Over seven seasons with the Braves, Fried has been placed on the injured list 11 times.
When healthy, Fried is among baseball’s elite pitchers, ranking second only to Gerrit Cole with 71 wins since 2019. He has also delivered standout postseason performances, despite occasional struggles in October.
“We’d love to have him back, but 30 teams would love to have Max Fried, right?” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said last month. “These great players earn the chance to test free agency, and they become highly sought after. I’m a big fan of Max, and we’ll see what happens.”
