Max Fried’s future with the Atlanta Braves has remained a hot topic. According to former MLB scout and Forbes writer Bernie Pleskoff, there is still hope he stays in Atlanta. Pleskoff’s prediction stands out in a landscape where speculation runs rampant. He believes the Braves will find a way to keep their left-handed ace in Atlanta.
His reasoning is straightforward, Fried isn’t just another name in the Braves’ rotation. He’s an anchor for the rotation. He’s a pitcher whose consistency sets him apart in a league where reliability is rare. Pleskoff doesn’t shy away from emphasizing how critical Fried is to the Braves’ success.
He is drawing a compelling parallel to Freddie Freeman, a beloved former Brave who left for the Dodgers and proceeded to claim an MVP title and a World Series ring. The sting of that loss, Pleskoff argues, still lingers in Atlanta, and the Braves can’t afford a repeat with Fried.
The allure of Fried as a free agent is undeniable. Pleskoff ranks him among the top starting pitchers on the market, noting that “every team in baseball covets a left-handed starting pitcher like Max Fried.” He boldly claims Fried offers more value than Blake Snell, the reigning NL Cy Young Award winner. Pleskoff backs this up with stats highlighting Fried’s steadiness. His ERA remains respectable throughout the season, unlike Snell’s dramatic post-All-Star transformation from struggler to superstar.
This level of consistency is why replacing Fried with a name from the free agent market—like Snell—might not yield the results the Braves want. Even with other prominent pitchers available, Fried’s value to the Braves transcends numbers. He’s a known quantity in their system, a cornerstone of their rotation.
Fried has declined a qualifying offer from the Braves for $21.05 million over one year. However, the door remains open for a long-term deal. For Atlanta, retaining Fried might mean stepping up with a lucrative contract, but as Pleskoff’s analysis suggests, the alternative—losing him and gambling on the market—could prove far costlier.
