Atlanta Braves insider David O’Brien didn’t have anything good to say about the team’s chances at signing Max Fried to a long-term extension.
The Braves and Max Fried are headed to arbitration for the second straight season. While arbitration sounds bad, it can lead to constructive contract talks when both sides — Fried’s representatives and the Braves — know exactly where the other stands.
Fried is the ace of Atlanta’s pitching staff. Without him, the Braves could turn to Spencer Strider, who they signed to a team-friendly long term contract last season. In many ways, it feels like the team has prepared for the possibility they lose Fried already.
The soon-to-be 28-year-old filed for $15 million, while the organization filed at $13.5 million.
Will the Braves sign Max Fried to a long-term contract?
In his write-up of the Fried arbitration case, David O’Brien of The Athletic hinted that the two sides may not have a long-term deal in their future.
“Signing Fried to a long-term extension at this point could be more difficult, given how close he is to free agency and the fact that starting pitchers have commanded such enormous salaries on the open market,” O’Brien wrote.
Fried is in a good position. If he continues to improve, he could earn over $20 million in 2024, his final season of arbitration. After that, Fried will hit free agency, where he’s young enough to receive a monstrous long-term deal, either from Atlanta or elsewhere.
The Braves are a notorious file-and-trial team. While it’s effective in reaching a compromise, it does put them in an awkward position, essentially arguing against a player’s self-valuation. Arbitration can be a nasty business, and one that leads to resentment from the player and his agency.
It may just be the business side of baseball, but the Braves would be wise to tread lightly.