The Atlanta Braves may not have a long list of high-profile players hitting free agency, but all eyes will be on Max Fried . For the past half-decade, Fried has been the ace of the Braves’ pitching staff, earning two All-Star selections and multiple top-five finishes in the Cy Young race. However, the Braves have gained a reputation for allowing star players to leave once they reach free agency— a trend that Tim Kelly from Bleacher Report argues needs to change.
Fried doesn’t have a perfect health history, but since undergoing Tommy John surgery in August 2014 as a prospect, he’s largely avoided any major injuries. He’s also become one of the better pitchers in baseball, posting top-five NL Cy Young Award finishes in 2020 and 2022, the latter of which he finished runner-up. Additionally, Fried’s resume across eight seasons with the Braves features two All-Star Game selections and three Gold Glove Awards.
Under president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos, the Braves have let players who sought to maximize their earnings in free agency—like Josh Donaldson , Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson —leave. It will be interesting to see if they operate that way with Fried. The 2025 Braves would certainly be worse without him.
The Braves aren’t going to improve by losing Max Fried. Over the past five years, he’s been one of the most consistently dominant left-handed starters in the game. While he’s had some minor injuries, he’s managed to avoid anything maj.