8 Free Agents Red Sox Need to Target This Offseason
By Ryan Bunton
4. Max Fried
Southpaw Max Fried is slated to hit free agency after eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves. Fried has a career record of 73-36 with a 3.07 ERA and 8.8 strikeouts per nine innings. The 30-year-old is a two-time All-Star, three-time Gold Glove winner, and has twice finished in the top five of the National League Cy Young voting.
In 2024, Fried made 29 starts with an 11-10 record with a 3.25 ERA and 8.6 strikeouts per nine innings.
Interestingly, Fried played high school baseball with current Red Sox pitcher Lucas Giolito at Harvard-Westlake School in California. On an episode of Baseball Isn't Boring with Rob Bradford, Giolito addressed this, insinuating that he might be participating in a bit of recruiting with Fried. Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty was also a member of that Harvard-Westlake team and is a free agent that the Red Sox expressed some interest in last offseason.
Looking forward to thanking Lucas Giolito for making Max Fried a Red Sox.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) October 14, 2024
Another former HS teammate of Giolito and Fried is also a FA. That’s Jack Flaherty, who the front office showed interest in last year.
Harvard-Westlake 2.0…
🎥: @BBisntBoring
pic.twitter.com/AsJmAbbgkp
The Red Sox have been linked to a trade for Chicago White Sox southpaw Garrett Crochet, and if Boston does pull off a trade for Crochet, their interest in Fried would likely greatly diminish. As currently constructed, the lack of left-handed pitching in the Red Sox rotation makes Fried a fit.
Former MLB general manager and executive Jim Bowden, now with The Athletic, projected a six-year, $174 million deal for Fried. MLB.com lists the Chicago Cubs, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers as potential fits to acquire Fried's services.