Still only 28 years old, Max Fried has headlined the Atlanta Braves’ rotation over the past few years. He’s coming off a 2022 campaign in which the veteran finished second in the National League Cy Young race. Fried also played a huge role in leading Atlanta to the World Series title in 2021.
The former first-round pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2012 MLB Draft would seem to be a long-term fixture in Atlanta, right? Well, we’re not so sure right now.
MLB.com’s Jim Callis noted on Tuesday that the Braves could very well opt to trade Fried after they acquired catcher Sean Murphy from the Oakland Athletics a day earlier. The reasoning is seemingly all about the finances in Atlanta.
“With the Braves’ payroll climbing, climbing — who knows if they will sign Murphy to an extension — I’m hearing some Max Fried rumors on the block. They may not be able to sign him long-term. Don’t be shocked if we see a Max Fried trade this offseason.”
Report on Atlanta Braves potentially trading Max Fried
Fried is currently slated to earn an estimated $12.2 million in 2023. He’s under contract through the 2024 season, which would make the ace one of the most-touted pitchers in the trade block in some time. In turn, the Braves would acquire a huge bounty as the team looks to continue its run of relevant seasons.
It really doesn’t make sense from a short-term standpoint unless the Braves can get back another qualified arm. There’s also a rival report suggesting that Atlanta is not looking to trade Fried. Either way, we thought it would be fun to put our own spin on this. After all, the unexpected has already happened multiple times around the MLB hot stove this offseason. Below, we look at three ideal destinations for Fried with possible packages heading back to Atlanta.
Related: Updated MLB rumors
Los Angeles Angels give up the farm for an ace
Fresh off an 89-loss season and without a playoff appearance since back in 2014, the Angels find themselves in a desperate situation. Rumblings of both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani not being happy about the lack competitiveness in Southern California coupled with the team being up for sale could create a perfect storm. In particular, Ohtani’s status as a free agent following the 2023 season is something to watch.
Among the primary issues for Los Angeles has been starting pitching. Adding Tyler Anderson doesn’t change the dynamics a whole lot heading into 2023. Why not see if they can pull off an absolute blockbuster with Atlanta?
- Angels get: Max Fried
- Braves get: Patrick Sandoval, Zach Neto, Ky Bush, Chase Silseth
This scenario would give Atlanta a player in Sandoval who can fit into the rotation with the likes of Kyle Wright, Charlie Morton and Spencer Strider. The team then picks up three of the Los Angeles’ top seven prospects, two of which are pitchers (Bush and Silseth) who could be flipped for another MLB-caliber starter under team control.
Related: Top MLB free agents of 2022-23
San Francisco Giants surprise everyone with Max Fried
San Francisco has been big-game hunting throughout the entire offseason. Thus far, it has not worked out too swimmingly with the likes of Aaron Judge choosing other destinations. But we fully expect this team to continue aiming for the fences.
The Giants can still add a big bat. They’ve been linked to Carlos Correa, among others. The idea here would be to team Fried up with another ace in Logan Webb to form a dominant duo by the Bay.
- Giants get: Max Fried
- Braves get: Marco Luciano, Kyle Harrison, Luis Matos, Randy Rodriguez
In this scenario, the Atlanta Braves pick up San Francisco’s top-three prospects. Luciano is MLB-ready and could take over for Dansby Swanson at short immediately. Harrison displayed elite stuff in the minors by striking out 186 batters in 113 innings (25 starts) last season. He could be flipped with Rodriguez for another controllable long-term rotation option. As for Matos, he’s only 20 years old and has displayed a ton of power from the outfield spot in the minors.
Related: Sportsnaut’s updated MLB free-agent tracker
New York Yankees pull off epic blockbuster with Atlanta Braves
New York was in on both Justin Verlander and Jacob deGrom before they opted for different destinations in free agency. The team is looking to bring in Carlos Rodon as a nice pairing with Gerrit Cole. But after re-signing Aaron Judge on a record-breaking contract, front office head Brian Cashman and Co. might look in another direction.
That is to say, using some of their surplus of farm talent to bring in a controllable pitcher without exhausting more financial flexibility. In this scenario, New York gives up the farm to acquire an ace in Fried who has pitched to a 52-20 record with a 3.06 ERA and 1.14 WHIP over the past four seasons.
- Yankees get: Max Fried
- Braves get: Anthony Volpe, Jasson DomÃnguez, Domingo Germán, Luis Gil
This trade nets Atlanta one of the most-heralded prospects in the Yankees’ farm since Derek Jeter. It also gives the team a long-term replacement for shortstop Dansby Swanson while adding two arms in German and Gil who could help fill out the rotation. Add in the presence of DomÃnguez and his MLB-caliber bat in the outfield, and this would be a boon for the Braves.