Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves are never ones to let news slip. They do not discuss ongoing negotiations, whether it be with players currently on the roster, free agents, or other teams attempting trade. It’s almost impossible to know when something is about to happen, and that’s how every organization should desire to be run.
However, that isn’t going to stop the media from asking Anthopoulos questions about Max Fried’s impending free agency. The ace of the Braves staff is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, which is once again a hot topic of discussion as Spring Training gets started.
“I wouldn’t announce it if we did,” Anthopoulos said, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “I’m confident that our guys know where they stand with us. Max certainly does. I saw his answers from Braves Fest. I thought they were great. That wasn’t me sitting down with him and saying, ‘Hey, let’s agree that we’re going to say this.’ That was just Max being Max being honest, you know?”
In a lot of ways, the Braves and Max Fried are a match made in heaven. He’s the ultimate competitor that has done nothing but do whatever it takes to help the team win since the Braves acquired him in a trade with the Padres, whether that’s come out of the bullpen or as a starting pitcher. Over the years, he’s blossomed into the team’s ace, but there’s nothing flashy about the way he goes about his business. He comes to work, soaks up information like a sponge, and then performs.
There’s nothing extra about him. There’s not a lot out there about his personal life, his answers are always that of a consummate professional; really, the only thing we do know about Max Fried is how much of a competitor he is on the mound.
That’s why when the answers of Fried and Anthopoulos are almost mirror images of each other it should almost be expected.
“This is all I really know,” said Fried, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “This organization has been nothing but supportive to me. I know the fans and city have really embraced me. I’ve really enjoyed my time here.”
Fried’s time with the Braves organization has rubbed off on him in more ways than one. Unfortunately, that’s typically not enough to convince a young man from Southern California to hang around at a discount. Money talks, and if the Braves want to keep their rotation intact, they must open up the checkbook in a way they have yet to do under Alex Anthopoulos in free agency.
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