With New York Yankees ace and 2023 Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole out for the entire 2025 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last week, the team’s hopes of repeating as American League champions now rest on their biggest offseason acquisition. That’s Max Fried, the former Atlanta Braves left-hander who boasts the lowest ERA in MLB since 2020 at 2.81. It came as no surprise when the Yankees secured Fried with an eight-year, $218 million contract, the fourth-largest ever for a pitcher and the largest ever for a lefty.
Initially, the Yankees had Fried slotted as the No. 2 starter behind Cole. However, with Cole sidelined, the 30-year-old from Encino, California now finds himself tasked with leading the rotation. Fried got his first taste of the Yankees’ fierce rivalry with the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday during a spring training game in Tampa, Florida. Interestingly, Fried could have easily ended up on the opposite side of that rivalry, as he revealed in an interview with Chris Cotillo of MassLive.
Max Fried
They were interested, and I met with the coaching staff and front office,” Fried said, reflecting on the Red Sox’s pursuit. “Really nice, great people and I definitely considered them.” However, in the end, Fried’s decision to join the Yankees came down to a “gut feeling.”
Another key factor that swayed Fried was the Yankees’ offer. The Red Sox had reportedly offered him a seven-year, $190 million deal, which was well below the Yankees’ proposal. The Red Sox’s offer also included deferred payments on Fried’s salary, whereas the Yankees’ deal did not.
On Tuesday, Fried gave the Red Sox a glimpse of what they missed as he dominated them over 4 1/3 innings, allowing just two hits, striking out three, and walking none. The spring training game at George M. Steinbrenner Field ended in a 4-4 tie.
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