Braves pitcher Max Fried, who earned his second All-Star selection this season, hasn’t had his best year out of his eight in the MLB. Nonetheless, Fried remains one of the league’s most reliable left-handed pitchers. With his free agency approaching this offseason, there is growing speculation about whether the Atlanta Braves will be able or willing to retain him. The Dodgers are likely to be watching closely.
There’s a strong possibility that Fried might make a return to his hometown team, the Dodgers, considering he was a first-round draft pick out of Harvard-Westlake High School in L.A. back in 2012— the same school that recently produced Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty.
In a recent livestream titled “MLB Offseason Landing Spots,” Bleacher Report’s Tyler Ward suggested that the Dodgers are highly likely to acquire Fried. “Max Fried and the Dodgers, it is a matter of if and not when,” Ward predicted.
Max Fried Has Struggled Lately
The Braves certainly hope to retain Max Fried, but there are factors that could affect his market this winter. Fried’s 2023 season was marred by hamstring and forearm injuries, limiting him to just 14 starts despite a strong 8-1 record and a 2.55 ERA. This season, although he has remained healthy, his performance has been less stellar: he is 7-6 with a 3.40 ERA and has suffered losses in his last three starts. His WHIP has risen to 1.204, the highest since 2019, and his walk rate has increased to 3.2, the highest since 2018.
Despite these issues, Fried has remained a reliable pitcher, and the Dodgers would likely be eager to add such consistency to their rotation.
Tyler Ward from Bleacher Report notes that the Braves are not known for committing to long-term extensions, particularly for starting pitchers. “Given this, and considering Max Fried’s West Coast ties, it seems almost inevitable that he’ll end up with the Dodgers,” Ward said. “The Dodgers, dealing with a rotation plagued by injuries and set to lose some key players in the offseason, would find Fried to be an excellent addition, aligning well with their needs and his background.”
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