MLB Rumors: Cubs target closer, Braves bad news, Blue Jays ace hurdle
- Blue Jays don't have a clear path to landing one ace
- Braves get a dose of cold water poured on their rotation
- Cubs setting their sights on an All-Star closer
MLB Rumors: Braves' future with Max Fried gets another dose of bad news
The Atlanta Braves offseason hasn't necessarily been what anyone, fan or member of the media alike, really expected. But as is typical of Alex Anthopoulos, that doesn't mean it hasn't been wildly productive. The Braves have added Reynaldo Lopez, Aaron Bummer, Jared Kelenic, Chris Sale, and David Fletcher. It's a strong offseason for a team set up to contend for a World Series in 2024.
However, Braves fans aren’t necessarily wholly focused on what the club does this offseason as many are focused on star lefty Max Fried being in the final year of his contract and scheduled to hit free agency in 2024-25 with no extension in place. The pipe-dream has long been that a deal would get done to keep the southpaw in the building, but that is seemingly getting broken down week by week.
MLB.com Braves insider Mark Bowman didn’t completely shut down the idea of a Fried extension, but noted that, at 30 years old and with questions about the lefty’s health arising after last season, this certainly isn’t the time for it:
"Sitting here in January, it makes no sense for the Braves to make an offer and even less sense for Fried to accept something before getting a chance to prove he is healthy. Maybe the time will be right in August or September."
So there is a little bit of a hopeful tone at the end of that report that the Braves could still be playing the waiting game in order to lock up Fried long-term. At the same time, though, if Fried comes back in the 2024 season, as Bowman noted, it will surely recapture his value and perhaps get him a deal north of the AAV of what Aaron Nola received to re-sign in Philadelphia, which was just under $25 million per season.
Essentially, Fried’s future in Atlanta seems murky at best right now. However, Bowman did begin by noting that his “assumption” is that Fried is about to play his last season with the Braves. That’s not certain, but the possibility of an extension with the Braves is perhaps even less so.