Braves Max Fried backup plan is fine, but not remotely as good as the original

Left-handed starting pitcher Max Fried has only ever wore an Atlanta Braves jersey. Over the past eight seasons, Fried has accumulated a 73-36 record to go along with an impressive 3.07 ERA. The two-time All-Star and three-time Gold Glove Award winner is now a free agent and with each passing day his return to Atlanta seems less likely.

With the resume that Fried has built to this point in his career, he has priced himself out of Alex Anthopoulos' typical price range for free agents. Especially after seeing the hefty deal that Blake Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Fried and his agent will be seeking every dime they can get. This puts Atlanta in a situation where they need to start preparing for their future without Fried and one potential backup plan is not as strong as you'd think.

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Atlanta Braves reportedly interested in Nathan Eovaldi

Veteran pitcher Nathan Eovaldi has 13 big league seasons under his belt and has put together a respectable career. With a 91-81 record and a 4.07 career ERA, Eovaldi is known for keeping his teams in ball games and giving them a chance to win. According to MLB Insider Jon Morosi, the Braves are interested in Eovaldi.

As much as every team needs a guy like Eovaldi, he is certainly no Max Fried. In 2024, the Braves got unexpected pleasant surprises from Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez and Spencer Schwellenbach and ended up having one of the best starting rotations in all of Major League Baseball.

Sale won his first Cy Young and captured a pitching Triple Crown title. Lopez who was converted to a starter led the MLB in ERA for an extended amount of time throughout the season. Spencer Schwellenbach in his rookie season showed that he has the potential to be a key piece in the Braves future success.

Unfortunately for Brian Snitker, this level of success from all three of these individuals is unlikely to be repeated in 2025 and the rotation will need a bigger addition than Eovaldi if Atlanta wants to return to being serious contenders in the NL East and beyond.