The New York Yankees reached the World Series in 2024 on the strength of their potent one-two punch of Aaron Judge and Juan Soto. This season, the Yankees are relying on a talented and deep starting rotation led by the one-two punch of Gerrit Cole and Max Fried. New York signed Fried this offseason to a massive eight-year, $218 million contract. That deal was only possible after the Yankees lost Soto to their crosstown rivals, the New York Mets.
However, the pivot to Fried gives New York another chance to make a deep playoff run, albeit with a very different approach. The 31-year-old lefty is embracing his move to the Bronx. And, although the eight-year pact he signed in December takes him into his age-39 season, Fried hopes he can earn another contract and continue playing into his 40s, according to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic.
If Fried manages to sign a second deal with the Yankees, he’d join an exclusive group of 15 other players who pitched 10 or more seasons in New York, per The Athletic. Hall of Famer CC Sabathia is the last pitcher to accomplish the feat, logging 11 seasons with the Yankees after spending the first eight years of his career in Cleveland.
Like Sabathia, Fried pitched eight years in the majors before heading to New York. The two-time All-Star had spent his entire career with the Atlanta Braves, winning a World Series with the franchise in 2021. Now the Yankees hope he’ll have a strong second half of his career, like Sabathia. Maybe he can even help New York win a title in his first season with the team… like Sabathia.
Max Fried senses something special about the Yankees
Although it’s still extremely early in Fried’s Yankee tenure, as he’s yet to take the mound in a regular season game, he has impressed his manager, leaving Aaron Boone mesmerized by his arsenal of pitches, which helped him finish second in Cy Young voting in 2022.
Yankees’ ace Gerrit Cole won the coveted award in 2023 and Fried is excited to learn from his new teammate. Cole is entering his sixth season in the Bronx so Fried can definitely benefit from the decorated veteran’s experience.
Fried acknowledges that playing for the Yankees has a different feel than anything he’s experienced in the majors. “There is something to every year that you come into camp here, the expectation is to win the division, get to the World Series and win the World Series. That’s kind of everyone’s expectation. That held a big weight to me,” Fried explained, via The Athletic.
New York hopes a rotation featuring Cole, Fried, Clarke Schmidt, Luis Gil and Carlos Rodon can help the team win its first championship since 2009.
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