Yankees ‘sign $218m superstar in record-breaking deal… just days after Juan Soto joined rivals Mets
The New York Yankees reportedly agreed to acquire left-handed pitcher Max Fried from the Atlanta Braves on Tuesday afternoon.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reported the agreement to an eight-year deal worth $218million. The deal holds the largest guarantee for a left-hander in baseball history.
A physical is pending for Fried as the reigning American League champions look to complete the transaction.
The 30-year-old wrapped up his eighth season with Atlanta, where he won a World Series title in 2021.
The Braves have not made it past the National League Divisional Series in the years that followed.
Aside from his title, Fried brings two All-Star selections, three All-MLB honors, and three Golden Glove Awards to the Bronx. So far in his career, Fried has a 73-36 record, 3.07 ERA, and 863 strikeouts.
The New York Yankees reportedly agreed to an eight-year, $218millio deal with Max Fried
The acquisition happened days after Juan Soto left the Yankees for cross-town rival Mets
Last season, Fried tallied 166 strikeouts and 3.25 ERA in 29 appearances.
The deal would be the Yankees’ first big acquisition since Juan Soto’s controversial exit from the Yankees. After helping the Bronx Bombers to the World Series, where they lost to the Dodgers, Soto left the team for their cross-town rival Mets.
Soto is headed to CitiField after signing a record-breaking $765m deal to be in orange and blue for 15 years.
The deal contains a full no-trade clause, a $75m signing bonus, an opt-out after five seasons, and no deferred money.
The Queens-based team can void Soto’s opt-out clause after the 2029 season if they boost the average annual value of the final 10 years of his deal from $51m to $55m, per MLB.com.
A Subway Series for the world title nearly came to fruition before the Mets’ hopes for the final stage got derailed by the Dodgers.
Fried’s arrival gives the Yankees an alternate option to pair with right-handed star Gerrit Cole.
