The 2024 Major League Baseball regular season will complete in a few weeks, and once the postseason concludes, free agency will be the next hot subject.
The Atlanta Braves will undoubtedly have an important offseason. Fortunately, Atlanta does not have many free agents to worry about this summer, but the most important one is undoubtedly ace Max Fried.
If the Braves hope to return to contention in 2025, signing him to a long-term contract should be their first priority. It’s unknown whether they’ll re-sign him, but he’s expected to receive a deal worth roughly $195 million, according to The Athletic’s Tim Britton.
“Fried’s 2023 wasn’t what he wanted it to be, as he missed time with a hamstring strain, a forearm strain, and a blister,” says Britton. “Taking that season at face value would place Fried in the Kevin Gausman Tier of contracts, with an AAV of roughly $24 million, which I anticipated this time last year. But Fried has normally been healthy, none of those 2023 injuries portend anything too concerning down the road, and he pitched close to his customary standards on the mound. So an extension should take this into consideration.
“Let’s value his free-agent years at $30 million per year for six seasons – he’s a year older than (Corbin Burnes) — in addition to his current salary. The compensation for 2024 is $15 million. Seven-year extension expected to cost $195 million.”
He will undoubtedly be expensive to retain, but the Braves should do everything in their power to do so.