The list of suitors for Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried continues to grow, as does the speculation about his future.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly has Fried among 10 stars he expects to be playing for new teams next season, with several prominent franchises ready to throw piles of money at the soon-to-be-31-year-old left-hander.
“He's going to decline a qualifying offer the Braves inevitably give him this offseason and search for a deal of at least five years,” Kelly said. “And there's little doubt he is worth that type of commitment.”
One team that may be willing to make that commitment is the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles, currently second in the American League East and headed for a second straight postseason appearance, may have a void at the top of their rotation if they lose Corbin Burnes in free agency.
Burnes is expected to draw at least $275 million on the open market, which could be too much for the Orioles to match.
That makes Fried a very intriguing option.
“If the Orioles don't want to spend as much money as they'll likely have to in order to keep Burnes around, Fried would be a good addition,” Jon Conahan wrote for Baltimore Orioles on SI.
Since the start of the 2019 season, Fried is 68-28 with a 3.09 earned run average. The two-time All-Star finished second in NL Cy Young voting following the 2022 season. He’s also a three-time Gold Glove Award winner.
Fried is posting his highest ERA since 2019 this season (3.50) and has dealt with some injuries. But a left-hander with his ability is always going to be attractive to major league clubs.
Conahan would like the Orioles to have their cake and eat it, too. “The best-case scenario would be that they re-sign Burnes and add a pitcher like Fried,” he said.
If recent history is any indicator, Fried is likely gone from Atlanta unless he takes a hometown discount. Whether or not he ends up in Baltimore remains to be seen.
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