3 Braves emergency fallback plans after Max Fried signs in the AL East

The New York Yankees have officially agreed to terms with Max Fried on an eight-year, $218 million contract. That is the largest guarantee in MLB history for a left-handed pitcher. It's indicative of the ballooning free agent market, but it's also a credit to Fried, who has earned every cent after eight dominant years with the Atlanta Braves.

This was pretty much inevitable. Fried has been a popular hypothetical target for all the marquee northeast clubs — be it the Yankees, Mets or Red Sox. It's clear the Yankees wanted him the most, especially after striking out on Juan Soto (who is now in the Braves' division, as luck would have it).

Atlanta can recover from this, but Fried's absence will be deeply felt. Beyond the fan dynamics of it all — and Fried was beloved in Atlanta despite steadily expanding fractures in his relationship with the front office — the Braves just don't have an in-house replacement lined up. The four-headed monster of Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach can cover up a lot of flaws, but Strider isn't healthy yet. Sale and Lopez aren't known for durability either. Depth is going to be a problem for the Braves, even given their ability to churn out arms on the farm.

We should expect Alex Anthopoulos and the front office to operate aggressively in pursuit of Fried replacements. That's not to say the Braves are going to drop $300 million on Corbin Burnes' doorstep, but Atlanta needs another starter who can produce over 30-plus starts and deliver on the postseason stage.

Here are a few viable targets.

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3. Nathan Eovaldi has already been connected to the Braves

If the Braves decide not to splurge on the upper echelon of free agent pitchers, Eovaldi makes sense as a bankable short-term investment. He's not offering much of a future at 34 years old, but Eovaldi should be able to give the Braves a solid season or two. He made 29 starts for the Texas Rangers in 2024, finishing with a 3.80 ERA and 1.11 WHIP.

Eovaldi's off-speed arsenal remains excellent, centered on a splitter that leaves hitters utterly baffled. Last season, he posted a chase rate in the 87th percentile and a groundball rate in the 82nd percentile, per Baseball Savant. Eovaldi has lost a few MPH on his fastball over the years, but he's still missing bats and putting his defense in a position to succeed.

The Braves ought to be focused on the present and winning a title. Eovaldi won't take up too much money relative to other options on the marketplace and the Braves aren't short on future in-house replacements. From Bryce Elder to AJ Smith-Shawver to Hurston Waldrep, the team has minor league options who could be ready to rumble for the big-league squad once Eovaldi's contract expires.

A two-time All-Star and two-time World Series champ, Eovaldi is the sort of proven winner Atlanta should covet.

2. Garrett Crochet would give the Braves an elite southpaw in Max Fried's slot

This is probably a pipe dream, but we know the Chicago White Sox are eager to cash in on their All-Star lefty. Crochet will cost a pretty penny given his age, talent and team-friendly contract, but the Braves have several interesting pitching prospects to throw in Chicago's direction. A determined Alex Anthopoulos can absolutely get into the Crochet sweepstakes in a serious way.

Crochet's contract expires after the 2026 season, so Atlanta would need to be semi-confident in its ability to work out an extension ahead of time, lest it ends up in the same position a couple years down the road. But, in terms of fit, Crochet is exactly what the Braves need — a southpaw flamethrower who torches opposing lineups with a 100-MPH fastball and a slick cutter.

The combined megawatt strikeout power of Crochet, Sale and Strider would be extremely difficult for offenses to contend with. Crochet comes with a potential pitch count and some long-term durability concerns, but he made 32 starts last season and finished strong, posting a 3.58 ERA and 1.07 WHIP.

A major drawback to re-signing Fried at his eventual price tag would have been the age and longevity of that contract. Coughing up $28 million to Fried in his age-37 season does not sound ideal. Crochet offers a much longer window of potential high-level impact for Atlanta.

1. Braves should put all their resources toward courting Roki Sasaki

Corbin Burnes is a great pitcher — one of the most consistently dominant forces in baseball for the last half-decade — but he's starting to crest. There were worrying underlying trends despite all his success in Baltimore last season and, at 30, he's about to get more money, and maybe even more years, than Fried.

That would lead me to steer clear, especially if Sasaki is a viable option. The Braves (and 29 other clubs) should be putting all their resources toward trying to convince Sasaki to join their roster. The 23-year-old Japanese ace is a unique free agent, good enough to provide immediate No. 1 value, but not experienced enough to command a $300-plus million contract like his countryman Yoshinobu Yamamoto did last winter. Sasaki will sign as an international prospect, limiting his annual salary to $7-8 million out of the gate; that evens the playing field, in theory, which should lead Atlanta to an aggressive pursuit.

Sasaki's reps have put out the message that he's willing to consider any team in any market, big or small. The Braves can point to their stellar track record of in-house player development as a reason to sign. Plus, Atlanta is a damn good team, and Sasaki would have the benefit of learning from (and being insulated by) the likes of Strider, Sale, and Lopez.

Just imagine the long-term upside of Strider and Sasaki. Atlanta would have two bonafide aces with the capacity to anchor the rotation for a decade to come. Sasaki may have a pitch count next season as he weathers the storm of past elbow injuries, but his velocity, location control, and unimpeachable composure make for a special, special player.