Dream rotation for the Braves to win a World Series after losing Max Fried

The Atlanta Braves were dealt a spot of bad news on Tuesday when Max Fried inked an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees. That's one of those deals that is destined to age poorly, so this isn't necessarily a period of mourning. After eight seasons of Fried in Atlanta, however, it'll be a bit strange to watch him in pinstripes.

His departure — overpaid or not — does leave a hole in the Braves rotation. Pitching depth has been an ongoing issue for Brian Snitker's group. Spencer Strider is expected back next season, but he's still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Chris Sale is coming off his first healthy campaign in ages, which feels ominous when looking ahead to 2025. Reynaldo Lopez, historically, has not been a picture of durability either.

Atlanta has already lost Fried. Charlie Morton's future hangs in the balance. The rotation will look vastly different next season. There are potential in-house replacements, such as AJ Smith-Shawver or Bryce Elder, but Braves fans would prefer a more ambitious replacement plan. Alex Anthopoulos has a fairly unambiguous mandate to deliver a winner and the Braves are desperate to wash out the bad taste of last season.

Here is what the Braves' healthy 2025 rotation would look like in a perfect world.

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Atlanta Braves dream rotation after Max Fried leaves for Yankees

There is lingering uncertainty about when exactly Strider will return and how much rust will stick, but he began last season as the National League Cy Young favorite for a reason. Still 26 years old, Strider should have plenty left in the tank. It'd be shocking if Strider wasn't performing at something approximately his usual level by the end of the 2025 campaign.

Sale, meanwhile, is the reigning National League Cy Young winner. That speaks for itself. He arrived in Atlanta and immediately revolutionized his approach, finding new life as one of the game's most dominant aces. Sale was hurt in the playoffs, and it's fair to wonder how durable the 35-year-old is moving forward, but his peak can still rival anybody in MLB.

Lopez made the leap from reliever to a starting gig in 2024 and found a gear we didn't know was possible. He made 26 appearances (25 starts), posting a nutty 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. It's only reasonable to expect some regression, but Lopez proved his mettle rather convincingly. The numbers don't lie. Nor does the All-Star bid.

That brings us to Sasaki, who is probably the most sought-after free agent left on the board. Since he doesn't have the requisite professional experience, Sasaki will sign as an international prospect this winter, capping his annual salary around $7 million. That puts the Braves on the same financial playing field as everybody else.

There has been speculation that Sasaki might prefer the West Coast, but Atlanta's player development pipeline is rock solid and there are few deeper, more well-established contenders in the sport. The Braves are a perfect landing spot on paper, and Alex Anthopoulos should really focus his offseason time and resources on impressing Sasaki. The 23-year-old has immediate ace potential and would give Atlanta a genuine building block for the future.

Rounding out the rotation is Schwellenbach, who finished his rookie campaign with a 3.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 21 starts. The Braves finally struck gold on one of their young pitchers; Schwellenbach is just 24 and he already looks the part of a postseason weapon, so the Braves should continue to prop him up.