The MLB offseason has been wild so far. Rather than dragging out like last offseason did with the lockout taking place, teams have been spending big amounts of money to land the top free agents on the market. And on the trade market, it's looking like we could see another big name player pop up on the trade block in Atlanta Braves ace Max Fried.
Fried is coming off the best season of his career with the Braves (14-7, 2.48 ERA, 170 K, 1.01 WHIP) and ended up finishing second in the National League Cy Young race. Fried is clearly one of the best pitchers in the game, but with Atlanta's payroll rising after their trade for Sean Murphy, it sounds like Fried's name has popped up on the trade block.
It would be a shock to see Fried dealt considering how good he's been for Atlanta recently, but it can't be ruled out this offseason. Fried is set to hit free agency after the 2024 season, so if the Braves opt to not sign him to a long-term deal and trade him instead, here would be the three best landing spots for Fried.
3. Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox didn't have a good 2022 season, and the start to the offseason hasn't been very good for them either. They lost their longtime first baseman Jose Abreu to the Houston Astros, and the front office hasn't exactly done much to reinforce the notion that they can bounce back after a tough 2022 season early on in the offseason.
Chicago is expected to be a bit more active on the trade market, and if they want to make a big move to shore up their roster, swinging a deal for Fried would be just what the doctor ordered. The White Sox already have a de facto ace in Dylan Cease, and if Lucas Giolito and Lance Lynn can put together bounce back campaigns, Chicago could have one of the best rotations in the MLB.
The White Sox would probably be better off making a deal to address their lineup, but having a deadly rotation is another way to make some noise across the majors. Acquiring Fried would give Chicago a pair of Cy Young candidates leading their starting rotation, which is something not many other teams could boast, and it would immediately make them a very dangerous team in the American League Central again.
2. Boston Red Sox
While the White Sox have had a bad start to the offseason, the other Sox in the MLB have had the worst offseason of them all. The Boston Red Sox have made a couple of moves, but the thing everyone is talking about is their failure to make a move for star shortstop Xander Bogaerts. It's clear Boston needs to make a big move to settle their raucous fanbase down.
Trading for Fried could be the unexpected move that helps the Red Sox bounce back. There's a decent chance that Nathan Eovaldi is going to leave in free agency, and while Chris Sale is set to return after missing pretty much all of the 2022 season, counting on him to be an ace, let alone stay on the mound, is a huge risk.
Fried has proven he's at the top of his game, and the Red Sox front office is reportedly looking to be aggressive on the trade market. They have seen a massive exodus of talent over the past five years or so, and if they want to change things, they have to prove they are intent on winning. Swinging a trade for Max Fried would certainly help accomplish that.
1. New York Yankees
The New York Yankees have been aggressive in their pursuit of Carlos Rodon on the free agent market, who is now the best player left standing in free agency after Carlos Correa signed with the San Francisco Giants. If they miss out on Rodon, they could manage to get an even better starter in the form of Fried.
Fried is pretty much a better version of Rodon. Both guys are lefties, and while Rodon had a solid 2022 season with the Giants, he's still a lot more injury prone than Fried. It's clear that Fried also has a much higher ceiling than Rodon, and while both guys are solid, most baseball fans are going to take Fried over Rodon.
Trading for Fried would allow the Yankees to save some money in the short-term after shelling out $360 million to re-sign Aaron Judge, which could make him an even more enticing option than Rodon. Considering how close the Yankees are to building a champion, and their need for another top-tier pitcher, that makes New York Max Fried's top potential landing spot.
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