The New York Yankees lost the Juan Soto sweepstakes as the top free agent player signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets.
After losing one of the best hitters in baseball, the Yankees went after another free agent to bolster their starting rotation next season.
In addition to Gerrit Cole already being the ace of their staff, the Yankees also agreed to terms with Max Fried from the Atlanta Braves.
With the addition of Fried, the Yankees now have two of the best pitchers in baseball since 2019.
According to MLB Network’s “X,” Cole has the league’s best ERA since 2019 at 2.98, while Fried is second at 3.06.
ERA Leaders since 2019 (minimum 800 IP):
2.98 – Gerrit Cole
3.06 – Max Fried pic.twitter.com/xIn6xJPvl9— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 15, 2024
Cole is a veteran pitcher who entered the league in 2013 and won the American League Cy Young Award in 2023.
In 2024, Cole started 17 games with an 8-5 record with a 3.41 ERA and 99 strikeouts in 95.0 innings.
Fried joined the Braves in 2017 and has played with them in all eight seasons of his MLB career.
Fried was an All-Star in 2024 and started 29 games with an 11-10 record and a 3.25 ERA with 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings.
The Yankees now have a dangerous one-two punch in Cole and Fried, and if they can stay healthy, they’ll be a dangerous duo come October of next season.
Even after adding one of the best starting free agents, the Yankees likely won’t be done making moves this offseason and will be a team to keep an eye on.
NEXT: The former player doesn’t hold back his thoughts on Juan Soto leaving the Yankees
