Yankees Sign Max Fried, Mets Sign Juan Soto

The Yankees are in agreement with Max Fried on a staggering eight-year, $218MM contract, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The agreement is pending a physical. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reports that the deal comes with no deferred money or opt-out clauses, while Joel Sherman of The New York Post adds that the deal also includes a full no-trade clause while also noting that the Red Sox and Rangers were the other finalists for the lefty’s services. Fried is a CAA client.
After losing the Juan Soto sweepstakes, the Yankees had plenty of money to outspend the rest of the field for his services and made use of those resources. Jon Morosi of the MLB Network reported earlier this evening that the Yanks were willing to offer Fried seven years, but they were evidently willing to going beyond that to get the market’s top unsigned southpaw on what is the largest contract for a lefty pitcher in MLB history, outbidding the club’s fellow finalists for Fried’s services in Boston and Dallas. It’s not hard to see what they like about the southpaw. Dating back to his first full season in 2019, Fried has a 3.07 ERA in 824 2/3 innings pitched. Only one pitcher in baseball has bested him in both categories during that time: Gerrit Cole, who he’ll now share the front of the Yankees rotation with.