The Los Angeles Dodgers have seen injuries to Tyler Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Clayton Kershaw this season. With Kershaw's future up in the air and Walker Buehler hitting free agency, the Dodgers could look to add starting pitching in free agency.
When ranking the top free-agent pitchers, Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer named the Dodgers as a potential fit for Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves.
"He 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," wrote Rymer. "He's also incredibly difficult to square up, where you're going off his hard-hit rate or simply his ground-ball rate."
Fried made 29 starts this season and had a 3.25 ERA. He was named an All-Star for the second time in his career. Fried has spent eight years with the Braves and is one of the most reliable starting pitchers available in free agency this year. Although, he does have a shaky injury history.
"Fried's injury history is simultaneously relatively harmless and ever-so-slightly alarming," wrote Rymer. "He hasn't spent much time on the IL as a big leaguer, but he did have Tommy John surgery a decade ago and he's had forearm issues in each of the last two seasons."
Despite his injury history, Fried should still get paid handsomely in free agency. Spotrac projects Fried to earn a six-year, $136 million deal.
"Even still, doubt that Fried will do well in free agency is basically nonexistent," wrote Rymer. "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."
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