Max Fried is predicted to stay in the East, but for a contender in the American League.
Free agent forecasting has begun, with Atlanta Braves standout lefty Max Fried projected to join the American League East.
Fried is expected to replace Corbin Burnes as the Baltimore Orioles’ ace, according to Joel Reuter of Bleacher Reports. In a similar transaction, he sends Burnes to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
“If re-signing Burnes is still Plan A, making a run at Fried is a suitable Plan B,” a Reuter report stated.
This prediction has some validity. On Thursday, MLB Insider Jon Heyman revealed that the Orioles, along with other AL East competitors the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays, are
Aside from losing a major starter to free agency, the Orioles are in a similar position to the Braves. They have potential in-house depth, which might lead to a strong rotation. However, when in win-now mode, relying only on those solutions is a bit risky.
“They can’t simply hope their in-house options are good enough,” according to Reuter.
Reuter also prefers Fried above other top free agent starters. He dubbed Blake Snell a “boom-or-bust” pitcher. Then he mentioned how Jack Flaherty didn’t work out in Baltimore. To the dismay of Braves fans, Fried remains their favorite choice.
A healthy Fried would make an excellent replacement to Burnes. In 29 starts, Fried had a 3.25 ERA, a 1.16 WHIP, and 166 strikeouts in 174 1/3 innings.
Last season, both starters were all-stars and regarded statistical aces.
Because Burnes made 32 starts, we will scale Fried’s figures to give a better picture of certain counting categories.
Burnes’ stats include 181 strikeouts, 48 walks, 22 home runs allowed, and 194 1/3 innings thrown.
Fried adjusted to 32 starts with 183 strikeouts, 62 walks, 14 home runs allowed, and 192 1/3 innings pitched.
Fried’s walk rate is higher, but his home run rate is lower, and he would have a similar workload if he stayed healthy for the entire season. Even if he doesn’t, this helps to build a picture of the type of performance they’re getting on the mound.
