For Braves Country, last night was emotional for a couple of different reasons. Obviously, anytime the season ends, there’s some level of sorrow that exists, but I imagine that was felt even more due to the circumstances surrounding Max Fried . The 30-year-old lefty toed the rubber for potentially the last time as a member of the Atlanta Braves.
He is now a free agent, and the feeling has always been that he’s unlikely to return. We’ve seen this song and dance not once but twice before with Freddie Freeman and then Dansby Swanson. The Braves don’t pay sticker price for anything, even the faces of their franchise, and when guys get to free agency, it’s usually not because they are looking to take a discount.
Of course, there is a chance the tune of the organization changes when it comes to homegrown stars, especially with the way the last three postseasons have ended. However, it feels unlikely the Braves are willing to invest $200+ million into a starting pitcher when their rotation already consists of Spencer Strider , Chris Sale , Spencer Schwellenbach , and Reynaldo Lopez . That’s already as good of a 1-4 as any in baseball.
Max Fried is more of a luxury at this point than a need, even if the saying is true, teams can never have enough good pitching. After the game, a clearly emotional Max Fried talked to reporters, focusing mostly on how much he’s enjoyed his time with the organization, and how he doesn’t know what the future holds. I’ve never seen Brave.
