The Atlanta Braves pulled a fast one on the Boston Red Sox in 2024, nabbing longtime Boston ace Chris Sale via trade and riding him to a likely Cy Young Award.
Could the Red Sox strike back at the Braves and steal another lefty away this time around?
The Braves locked Sale into an extension that will likely keep him in Atlanta through 2026, and the rest of their rotation looks sturdy, with Reynaldo López, Spencer Schwellenbach, Spencer Strider, and AJ Smith-Shawver among the candidates for big roles moving forward.
However, longtime Braves star lefty Max Fried is about to hit free agency, and the Braves may not have the motivation to keep him. That could open the door for a more needy team like the Red Sox to swoop in and acquire their new lefty ace.
On Thursday, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer named the Red Sox as one of the top fits to sign Fried in free agency.
"(Fried) does everything he can to not only limit damage, but actively suppress it. He's typically good for around one strikeout per inning, and he's walked only 2.3 batters per nine innings since 2020. He's also incredibly difficult to square up, where you're going off his hard-hit rate or simply his ground-ball rate," Rymer said.
"Doubt that Fried will do well in free agency is basically nonexistent. He has every right to be looking at Carlos Rodón's six-year, $162 million deal and wondering if he can do just as well, if not better."
Teams looking for an ace, like the Red Sox, will likely be enthralled by Fried once the market opens. The 30-year-old has a 73-36 career record with a 3.07 ERA, has been durable outside of a couple brief blips on the radar, and has two All-Star appearances to his name.
Fried is currently projected to earn $149 million on his next deal by Spotrac, but as Rymer references, that price tag could be driven up if a bidding war ensues. The Red Sox haven't spent big in free agency the past few seasons, which has driven the Boston fan base bonkers, but they could reverse course with little warning.
Braves fans have developed a special bond with Fried, and it would hurt to see him in another uniform. However, heading to Boston would likely be preferable to seeing him with another National League team that could face Atlanta in the playoffs.
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