The Atlanta Braves were dealt a spot of bad news on Tuesday when Max Fried inked an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees. That’s one of those deals that is destined to age poorly, so this isn’t necessarily a period of mourning. After eight seasons of Fried in Atlanta, however, it’ll be a bit strange to watch him in pinstripes.
His departure — overpaid or not — does leave a hole in the Braves rotation. Pitching depth has been an ongoing issue for Brian Snitker’s group. Spencer Strider is expected back next season, but he’s still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Chris Sale is coming off his first healthy campaign in ages, which feels ominous when looking ahead to 2025. Reynaldo Lopez, historically, has not been a picture of durability either.
Atlanta has already lost Fried. Charlie Morton’s future hangs in the balance. The rotation will look vastly different next season. There are potential in-house replacements, such as AJ Smith-Shawver or Bryce Elder, but Braves fans would prefer a more ambitious replacement plan. Alex Anthopoulos has a fairly unambiguous mandate to deliver a winner and the Braves are desperate to wash out the bad taste of last season…