Atlanta Braves: Pros and cons of a long-term contract with Max Fried
By Kevin Henry
The Atlanta Braves have signed numerous players to contract extensions, locking up them up for the near future. Should the franchise follow the same strategy for starting pitcher Max Fried?
Max Fried and the Atlanta Braves are once again heading to arbitration after the two sides couldn’t agree on a salary for the 2023 season. According to MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Fried filed for arbitration at $15 million while the Braves came in at $13.5 million.
It’s the second consecutive year that Fried and the Braves have used arbitration to settle a contract dispute, with the 28-year-old southpaw winning last season and earning $6.85 million (Atlanta came in at $6.6 million). With Fried scheduled to be a free agent at the end of the 2024 campaign, is it time for the Braves to consider a long-term extension for him?
The pros of the Atlanta Braves offering a long-term extension to Max Fried
Since making his debut in 2017, Fried has never posted lower than a 114 ERA+. His 162-game averages over the span of seven seasons put him at 16-7 with a 3.09 ERA/3.30 FIP/1.167 WHIP and 141 ERA+. Those are numbers that any MLB team would be happy to have as a part of their rotation.
Fried’s value could well never be higher than it is right now, coming off a season where he finished second in the NL Cy Young race. If he stays at his current trajectory, Fried’s contract could be in the neighborhood of $20 million next season in his final year of arbitration.
Atlanta’s rotation is among the best in the game, and Fried is widely considered the ace of the staff. While the Braves could get plenty if they were to pursue a trade as has been rumored, the possibility of Atlanta actually dealing off Fried while needing to stay ahead of the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies in their own division seems unlikely.
An extension would add more stability for the Braves on the mound down the road, as well as send a message that players who perform are rewarded, something that has been muddied in recent seasons with the departures of Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson.