ATLANTA — Atlanta Braves star pitcher Max Fried is saying goodbye to the A.
The two-time All-Star left-handed pitcher and the New York Yankees reached an 8-year agreement and a $218 million contract.
In a video posted to Instagram on Saturday, Fried gave a heartfelt goodbye message to his home for the last decade.
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“Atlanta is the organization that traded for me. It’s where I made my Major League debut. And it’s where, together, we won a World Series!” he wrote.
He goes on to thank everyone with the Braves from managers and teammates all the way to ushers and ground crews.
But he can’t forget the fans.
“To the fans, thank you for welcoming this west coast kid and making Atlanta feel like home. It’s been incredible to play for you, feel your energy, and represent the Braves. As I head into this next chapter, I’ll always look back at my time in Atlanta with so much love. It’s truly been an honor,” he wrote. “World Champs Forever.”
Fried’s contract is the largest guarantee in baseball history for a left-handed pitcher, ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports.
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A three-time Gold Glove winner who turns 31 on Jan. 18, Fried has one of the broadest repertoires in the major leagues, throwing seven different pitches. He averaged 93.9 mph this year with his fastball, which he threw 33.6% of the time. Fried mixed in 21% curveballs, 15.6% sinkers, 13.6% changeups, 5.9% sweepers, 5.6% sliders and 4.7% cutters.
He was 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA over 29 starts this year, striking out 166 and walking a career-high 57 in 174 1/3 innings. Fried missed time for left forearm neuritis, his seventh straight season on the IL.
He had prior IL stints for a blister on middle finger of pitching hand and strained left groin (2018), blister on left index finger (2019), muscle spasm on left side of back (2020), strained right hamstring (2021), concussion (2022), and strained left hamstring, strained left forearm and blister on left index finger (2023).
Fried was the seventh overall pick in the 2012 amateur draft by the San Diego. He had Tommy John surgery in August 2014 and was traded to the Braves in December 2014 as part of a six-player deal that sent outfielder Justin Upton to the Padres.
He made his major league debut in August 2017 and was optioned to the minors five times in 2018.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
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