There is a specter in the shape of Max Fried hanging over the Atlanta Braves’ offseason. The All-Star pitcher is eligible to sign with the highest bidder. Of course the Braves want him back, but after years of failing to gain traction in contract talks, the outlook is bleak. All signs point to Fried landing with a new team.
That opens an uncomfortable can of worms for the Braves. Not only will Fried’s presence be deeply missed in the Atlanta rotation, but there’s a good chance he ends up on the wrong end of a Braves rivalry. For example, the pitching-needy New York Mets could dial up Fried and hand him the $175 million ESPN projects. That would place Fried in the division, on a team that just outlasted the Braves in October.
Or what about the San Diego Padres, who just beat Atlanta head-to-head? Or the upstart Washington Nationals? Or, god forbid, and unexpected run from the Philadelphia Phillies. All these outcomes would sting especially bad for Atlanta. It would be one thing for Fried to join the Red Sox or something and toil in American League obscurity. But joining a direct National League threat — that is the nightmare scenario for the Braves…