Braves already have ideal Max Fried replacement in sights if he leaves in free agency

At the end of the day, professional sports are a business. The dollars and cents have to make sense, as it takes two to tango when putting together a contract. While we could see a change of heart in the coming weeks, all signs point to Atlanta Braves left-hander Max Fried leaving in free agency. It would not be shocking if Fried signed a multi-year deal to go play for his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers.

The good news for Atlanta is the Braves still have Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach under contract. While they will not be getting Spencer Strider back in time for Opening Day, it may emphasize the importance of potentially looking elsewhere to round out the rotation beyond Charlie Morton, especially if Fried walks. One such replacement is Nathan Eovaldi.

According to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, Eovaldi would be near the top of the Braves' free agency wish list. Eovaldi just opted out of his contract with the Texas Rangers, a team he helped win its first World Series championship only last year. He won his first pitching alongside Sale on the 2018 Boston Red Sox. The Rangers are expected to try and re-sign him, but Atlanta might have a chance.

Let's discuss why Atlanta would be more inclined to sign Eovaldi rather than pay Fried out the wazoo.

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Atlanta Braves could replace Max Fried with Nathan Eovaldi in free agency

How Atlanta should view Strider heading into next year is as a bonus whenever he does return from his UCL injury. This is not the same as getting Ronald Acuña Jr. back from a torn ACL, as the Atlanta outfield needs him badly. Strider's delayed return could reignite the emphasis in the Braves re-signing Fried, but we have seen how it has gone twice over now with Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson.

I think it is all about flexibility and extending players at the right price when it comes to how general manager Alex Anthopoulos goes about building this team. He will extended a player who he believes has earned more years before they hit free agency. Usually around the time a homegrown player hits 30, he may let him walk out the door if he is playing on an expiring contract. It sucks, but it is reality.

As far as what Eovaldi could bring to the table, he has proven to be a big-game pitching in the postseason, something the Braves simply do not have enough of. Every year and every team is different, but Eovaldi seems to be built different in October. Potentially coming to Atlanta along with new hitting coach Tim Hyers, as well as reuniting with Sale could be a huge feather in Atlanta's cap.

The Braves will probably keep this close to the vest because that is just the manner how they operate.