Even though the New York Yankees just gave him a boatload of money, this is not the situation Max Fried signed up for. He was thought to be part of a starting rotation that featured frontline ace Gerrit Cole, plus enviable depth behind him. While Fried demonstrated ace-like tendencies during his near-decade long run with his former team the Atlanta Braves, the lefty is best served as being an elite No. 2 in an absolutely loaded rotation.
Flash forward to the middle part of spring training, and Fried is left with no choice in the matter. Now that Cole is out for the season due to Tommy John surgery and Luis Gil will miss at least the first few months with a shoulder issue,, the new kid in town will be tasked with being the No. 1 starter for baseball's most storied franchise. He plays for the most heavily scrutinized team in the biggest city in the country, a team that won the American League only a season ago but flamed out in an embarrassing World Series.
What I grew to learn from my years watching Fried try to pitch every fifth day for the Braves is that injuries are a part of his game. When he is on, he is one of the best left-handed pitchers I have ever seen play in my 35-plus years on Earth. When he is dealing with something, he gets rattled easily and will give up the big fly on the regular. In the postseason, he can shine, but usually comes up way short.
With Cole being down for the count, I wonder if Fried regrets his decision to sell out for top dollar ...
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What New York Yankees fans should expect out of Max Fried in year one
For starters, you are going to get an All-Star pitcher, or near enough, out of Fried in year one with the Yankees. He is in the midst of his prime and will continue to be for the next two or three years at least. There will be days where Fried looks like the best pitcher in baseball. His combination of stuff and athleticism sets him apart from many southpaws I have seen toe the rubber across baseball before.
Unfortunately, players that get hurt continue to get hurt. Fried's Atlanta tenure was partially defined by injuries. His tremendous pitching often superseded that, but knowing he is not going to make 30-plus starts in a season was always in the back of your mind. What this does is put your rotation in potentially compromising situations. The No. 2 becomes the No. 1, the No. 3 the No. 2, and so on.
What I am getting at is the addition of Fried was to help the Yankees' starting rotation get over the top, not to carry it. While he can carry at times, and certainly do a great job at it, he is at his best as part of an ensemble cast in a high-level rotation, kind of like the one he walked away from in Atlanta with Chris Sale, Reynaldo Lopez, Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider on his way back soon.
We are looking at Fried either having the best year of his career, or possibly one where he backslides.