While the Braves haven’t made a single notable addition this offseason, they’ve been adjacent to plenty of blockbuster news, most recently with Max Fried inking an eight-year deal with the Yankees.
Nathan Eovaldi, who Atlanta held in high regard, returned to Texas on a three-year deal with the Rangers. Unlike Eovaldi, the Braves never really had a shot with Fried. An eight-year contract worth more than $27 million per year for a 30-year-old Max Fried just isn’t in Alex Anthopoulos’ wheelhouse.
The Braves still remain in the hunt for a starting pitcher, but the Yanks deal with Max Fried should serve as a reminder for fans. Given Atlanta’s qualifying offer, the club will receive a draft pick following the end of the 4th round., per MLB pipeline.
Meanwhile, New York will forfeit its second and fifth-highest picks and lose $1 million from its international bonus pool. While Alex Anthopoulos is completely focused on building a World Series team for 2025, he’s not going to completely neglect the other facets of the organization.
In fact, Anthopoulos has been quite outspoken about the dynamic between free agents who have received qualifying offers and the ramifications of doing business with those players. Controlled aggression, that’s how the Braves operate.
Among other reasons, that could’ve been a driving factor in Atlanta’s interest in Nathan Eovaldi. Not only was he in line for a much shorter deal than Max Fried, he wasn’t going to cost the Braves a draft pick had they signed him.
Of course, Alex Anthopoulos probably would sacrifice a draft pick or two for the right free agent, but it’s important to remember not all free agent deals are solely about dollars and cents.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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