3 Max Fried replacements that can actually show up in October for the Braves

The Atlanta Braves saw their season ended after a quick 2-0 sweep at the hands of the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card round. Sadly, Atlanta wasn't able to recreate the 2021 magic in the wake of Ronald Acuña Jr.'s injury.

If there is a singular person to point the finger at in Game 2 of the series, it would be the impending free-agent pitcher, Max Fried. Fried was looked at as the team's ace, but he pitched nothing like it with the season on the line. In two innings, Fried allowed eight hits and five runs, ultimately watching the Braves lose the game 5-4, promptly ending their season.

There has already been speculation that Fried won't be back in Atlanta next season. These rumors might be escalated after the postseason collapse.

But if the Braves and Fried decide to part ways, Atlanta is going to need to find a replacement that won't collapse with the season on the line.

Here are the top three Max Fried replacements that would actually show up in October for the Braves.

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3. RHP Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty was available at the trade deadline this season, with the Braves being connected to him for weeks leading up to the actual deadline. Alex Anthopolous and the Braves ultimately didn't make too many moves, opting to trust in Fried, Chris Sale and their young prospect pitchers to carry them into the postseason. They ended up making the postseason, but the quick exit wasn't exactly what management had in mind for the end of their season.

It makes sense as to why the Braves didn't trade for Flaherty this season, but with Flaherty entering unrestricted free agency at the end of the Dodgers season, Atlanta will have their opportunity to land him if they can make the money match up.

Flaherty looks like a completely new pitcher in 2024, pitching to a 3.17 ERA and nearly 11 strikeouts per nine innings across almost 200 innings. The right hander looks completely different than the pitcher that he was with the Orioles during the back half of 2023.

He's thrown 25 postseason innings in his big league career, posting a modest 3.60 ERA, though he looks as good now as he ever has, so we could certainly see him break out this season with the Dodgers' World Series hopes on the line.

2. RHP Corbin Burnes, though it's unlikely

Obviously, if we're talking about replacing Max Fried, I have to include the top pitcher in free agency this season, Corbin Burnes. But, I want to preface that at this moment, it isn't the most likely option. The Baltimore Orioles will most likely do anything in their power to keep him in Baltimore for the foreseeable future. Pulling him away from the Orioles would be tough, but not impossible.

Burnes is one of the best pitchers in the league and he showed how excellent he can be with the season on the line in his lone postseason start this year. He tossed eight innings of one run baseball in a 1-0 loss to the Kansas City Royals. Burnes effectively lowered his postseason ERA to an incredible 2.33 through 27 innings.

Replacing a lifelong Brave like Fried is tough, but if Atlanta is going to do it and be okay with letting him walk, they need to find a pitcher that's significantly better, especially with the season on the line. There aren't too many available pitchers across the league that are big step ups from Fried, but Orioles ace, Corbin Burnes, is certainly one of them.

1. LHP Blake Snell

And we finally land on the most obvious answer of them all, Blake Snell. Snell is right up there with the aforementioned Corbin Burnes as the top free-agent pitching arm this offseason. Burnes will get the nod over Snell by many teams because he offers the ability to go deeper into games, but that doesn't mean that Snell isn't one of the best pitchers in the game.

Snell gets better as the season goes on and as the pressure gets higher. This season, he proved the importance of Spring Training, which caused him to struggle early and likely cost him another Cy Young award. I can only say that because he was so dominant down the stretch it's a travesty that we didn't get to see him in the postseason this season.

For his postseason career, Snell has tossed 48.2 innings with a 3.33 ERA and excellent strikeout numbers. He's been one of the best pitchers in baseball and he is even better with the season on the line.

Snell is going to go wherever the money is. If the Braves are going to lose a lefty from their rotation in Fried, might as well go out and replace him with one of the few southpaws in baseball that is better than him.