Max Fried leaves the Braves hanging for the Yankees: What it means for Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves knew there was a possibility that their starting rotation could look much different heading into the 2025 season. That's because Max Fried, a consistent piece at the top of the starting rotation, was entering free agency. With no progress being made in negotiations, Fried entered the open market, and there was a very strong chance that he could be pitching elsewhere.

Well, that became a reality on Tuesday, as at the MLB Winter Meetings, Fried agreed to terms with the New York Yankees on an eight-year, $218 million contract. ESPN's Jeff Passan was the first to break the news, and noted that this contract is officially the most lucrative for a left-handed pitcher in baseball history.

With Fried no longer donning a Braves uniform and will instead head up to the Bronx to pitch behind Gerrit Cole in the Yankees rotation. So, what's next for the Braves to fill the void?

What's next for Braves after they lose Max Fried to Yankees

First things first, the Braves will get No. 1 pitcher Spencer Strider back for 2025 after suffering a season-ending UCL injury in his right elbow. So what does the rotation look like as a whole currently?

1. Spencer Strider
2. Chris Sale
3. Reynaldo Lopez
4. Spencer Schwellenbach

The rotation isn't in a terrible spot, as Chris Sale had a career-resurgence this past season, where he won the Cy Young for the first time in his career. Reynaldo Lopez also thrived when moving to the rotation this past season. But as you can see, there are only four starters on the team's website. There are still plenty of options available to them.

The Braves were linked to Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Walker Buehler by MLB Network insider Jon Morosi. That would be a solid option that won't be as expensive as signing Corbin Burnes, who is the best starter available after the Fried signing.

The Braves were also linked to Nathan Eovaldi earlier this offseason, who according to MLB.com's Mark Bowman, was atop the team's wishlist. Again, that was over a month ago. FanSided's MLB insider Robert Murray noted in his recent article Eovaldi is a candidate to sign this week, possibly before the end of the Winter Meetings.

Perhaps one of the biggest wild card options is Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox. While he's coming off of a strong first season in the rotation, the White Sox are asking for a haul of prospects. While the Braves were listed as an option earlier this offseason, their names have kind of disappeared.

There are some new names on the trade market that could be options for the Braves, but they aren't specifically linked to either. According to Morosi, the Houston Astros and San Diego Padres are listening to offers for Framber Valdez and Dylan Cease respectively due to the price of free agent pitchers increasing. However, that doesn't mean that both teams will trade either pitcher.

Those are names that the Braves were linked to this offseason, but it remains to be seen if they will actually land one of them, or pivot to other options on the free agent market. But with the New York Mets improving by adding Juan Soto, and the Philadelphia Phillies having all of that star power in the lineup, the Braves need to fill out that fifth spot in the rotation, and quickly.