Major League Baseball’s offseason has not disappointed so far, with many of the league’s biggest hitters switching teams.
After the New York Yankees lost out on bringing back their star outfielder Juan Soto when he signed with the New York Mets, the team wasted no time in signing other key players.
The Yankees traded for Devin Williams from the Milwaukee Brewers and outfielder Cody Bellinger from the Chicago Cubs.
Along with the trades, the Yankees also signed free agent Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract, as detailed by MLB analyst Jon Heyman.
Max Fried
New York Yankees$218 million/8 years
Signing Bonus – $20M ($10M-1/31/25; $10M-1/31/26)
$12,000,000 – 2025
$12,000,000 – 2026
$29,000,000 – 2027
$29,000,000 – 2028
$29,000,000 – 2029
$29,000,000 – 2030
$29,000,000 – 2031
$29,000,000 – 2032Full No Trade
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 18, 2024
MLB analyst Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report revealed his thoughts on the Fried deal and how the Yankees overpaid.
“He could very well help the Yankees win the World Series at the peak of Aaron Judge and Gerrit Cole. There are enough factors to make this feel like an overpay, though.” said.
Kelly notes that Fried will be paid $31.5 million from 2030-2032, which will be his age, 36-38 seasons.
Fried is currently 30 years old and had a solid year with the Atlanta Braves in 2024.
In 2024, Fried started 29 games, posting an 11-10 record with a 3.25 ERA and 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings.
Kelly appears to believe Fried is worth signing for a while, but he’ll make a ton of money at the end of his contract at an age when his ability starts to decline.
The Yankees and Fried will try to win their first World Series title since 2009.
NEXT: An analyst says the Yankees made a “smart deal” recently
