Max Fried’s time with the Braves may not be over after recent comments by Alex Anthopoulos.
The Atlanta Braves are clearly looking to enhance their team for the 2025 season. This year has been particularly challenging for the organization since Alex Anthopoulos took the helm, with injuries affecting nearly all of their star players.
Max Fried was also sidelined due to a forearm injury but managed to return and finish the season strong, posting the fifth-best ERA (3.25) in the National League. Unfortunately, his postseason ended on a low note after a tough outing against the Padres in the Wild Card round.
Despite that, Fried remains one of the top pitchers in the league and is likely to be a key topic during the offseason free agency discussions. Atlanta fans are anxious about his future with the team, especially given past departures like Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson. While Fried has expressed a desire to stay in Atlanta, many factors are beyond his control.
However, recent comments from Anthopoulos about the 2025 budget may give fans some hope. He indicated that the budget is expected to increase, suggesting that the team won’t shy away from investing in players they believe are worth it.
Over the last 3 seasons:
Max Fried:
73 Starts – 437.1 IP – 2.80 ERA/3.03 FIP – 8.6 K/9 – 2.2 BB/9 – 7.7 H/9 – 0.7 HR/9.Blake Snell:
76 Starts – 412 IP – 2.82 ERA/2.92 FIP – 12.0 K/9 – 4.5 BB/9 – 6.2 H/9 – 0.7 HR/9 – .195 BAASnell is entering his age-32 season with no QO.… pic.twitter.com/VQr2g3RKBv
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) October 15, 2024
Anthopoulos remarked, “I know it’s not going to go down, I expect it to rise, but to what level, we’ll spend the offseason going through that. I view it from opening day to opening day because in-season needs arise. I’ve never been told no when asking for money to acquire a player. I’ve always had support for in-season spending, even with a set payroll. While it’s not an unlimited budget, we’ve consistently raised our payroll to new highs each year.”
The Atlanta Braves finished 2024 with the sixth-highest payroll in baseball, totaling $236,433,901. After the trade deadline, Anthopoulos mentioned that the team was just under the threshold for the third tier of the luxury tax. According to Roster Resource, the Braves’ luxury tax total for 2024 was $276,995,508, marking the second consecutive season they fell into that tier—a first in the franchise’s history, as reported by Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Given that the team anticipates another budget increase, they will face even higher penalties in 2025. This could impact some decisions, but Max Fried remains a strong candidate for their plans unless the team views his injury history as a concern. Fried’s performance in recent seasons also means he will command a significant salary.
Atlanta has the financial capacity to re-sign Fried next season, and Anthopoulos is likely to extend a contract he considers fair. The team’s willingness to potentially exceed the third tier of the tax threshold is a positive sign for fans hoping to see Fried in the starting rotation on Opening Day.
