Braves Rumors: Max Fried-Freddie Freeman comp, Chris Sale hype, NL East trade buzz
- This Max Fried comparison to Freddie Freeman is not great.
- Chris Sale's hype might be getting just a touch out of hand.
- A pair of NL East stars of rival teams could be dealt before the trade deadline.
By John Buhler
Braves rumors: Max Fried may go the way of Freddie Freeman, sadly
While it did not happen this offseason, we are preparing for it to be three in the last four. Freddie Freeman walked in his free agency in 2022. Dansby Swanson left in his free agency in 2023. While Atlanta still has plenty of time to ink a deal to get left-hander Max Fried to stay, his comments on the matter suggest that it is increasingly likely that he not get the deal he wants from Alex Anthopoulos.
Max Fried on his walk year: He said the situation is out of his control. He knows the Braves do things a certain way — in private — and that things are handled behind closed doors, so he wants to respect that. But he said he loves being here and that he’s excited for ‘24.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) January 27, 2024
My FanSided colleague Eric Cole expounded on this perfectly over at House That Hank Built. This is our favorite MLB team. While we would love to see Fried back in Braves uniform beyond 2024, this is a business, one that Anthpoulos knows how to navigate very well. Paying premiums for depreciating assets in free agency is not in his bag of tricks. With Fried coming off a frustrating 2023, he is gone.
It would have to take a perfect storm to get Fried back with the Braves. Unfortunately, it will have to take either another down year from him or some weird anomaly in the market next winter. Odds are, someone like Fried's favorite team from childhood in the Los Angeles Dodgers will pay him something ridiculous like $50 million annually to pitch for them on the wrong side of 30 until 2031.
One way or another, history will find a way of repeating itself here. Or it won't, as things may change.
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