The Atlanta Braves have a very obvious top priority this winter: re-sign starting pitcher Max Fried.
But that task will be a lot more difficult than many realize. There are a lot of suitors for Fried across the league, ranging from the New York Yankees to the Boston Red Sox to the New York Mets. If the Braves want him back, they need to open the checkbook.
Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly doesn’t think Fried will land back with Atlanta. In fact, Kelly recently listed the Baltimore Orioles, not the Braves, as the best fit for the lefty ace this offseason.
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“The Orioles might not ultimately spend quite enough to retain (Corbin) Burnes, but they still need a top-of-the-rotation arm as they try to win a World Series during the Gunnar Henderson-Adley Rutschman Era. Max Fried would give the Baltimore Orioles an ace, adding to a rotation that includes Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin,” Kelly wrote. “The six-year, $168 million deal we’ve projected would be less than what it will take to sign Burnes, but it’s still a major commitment the O’s can spin as a sign they’ve moved beyond the frugalness of the Angelos Era.”
This would be quite a shocking move in my mind. If the Orioles are going to be willing to dish out $168 million over six years for Fried, they would likely be willing to dish out $210 million over seven years to bring back Corbin Burnes.
Baltimore traded multiple top prospects for Burnes. If the O’s miss on re-signing Burnes, it’s likely because they’re too cheap to dish out over $150 million in a deal. I wouldn’t favor them to sign Fried if they’re considered out on Burnes.
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