Braves Rumors: Don't count on a long-term Max Fried extension
The Atlanta Braves have plenty of talent secured for the long term -- Ronald Acuña Jr., Matt Olson, and Austin Riley, just to name a few -- but don't count on Max Fried joining that core anytime soon.
The 2022 NL Cy Young runner-up will hit unrestricted free agency before the 2025 season, and assuming he maintains his production for the rest of this year and the next, he's going to be an ultra-hot commodity.
One MLB pundit has given Fried a 55 percent chance of signing an extension with the Braves in the near future.
Another, Sports Illustrated's Lindsay Crosby, believes Fried's chances of staying in Atlanta are even lower than that. Crosby names the main obstacles in the way of a Fried extension: the Braves hold no leverage, the Braves probably can't afford him, and Fried's roots to the Braves only run so deep.
The money might be the stickler here. As Crosby notes, every single extension that's part of Atlanta's core does not exceed $22 million in any year of the deal.
Unwilling to pay the piper, the Braves have let star players like Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson walk in the past, and those stars have since upped their income elsewhere (Freeman has a base salary of $27 million on the Dodgers, Swanson is making roughly $25 million a year through his age-35 season).
If history is any indication, elite starting pitchers have made bank in free agency, with the likes of Jacob DeGrom, Marcus Stroman, and Carlos Rodon each making more than $22 million a year. For whatever reason, if Alex Anthopoulos refuses to budge on that mark for the star Braves pitcher, Fried can surely find a more lucrative deal with a franchise willing to fill his wallet and then some.
Braves Rumors: Reunion with Johan Camargo would be sentimental, though not sensible
Giants infielder Johan Camargo was designated for assignment this week and will hit the waivers in the coming days. Should the Braves take a chance on their old friend?
They could for purely emotional reasons, but they really don't need to.
Camargo, who was signed out of Panama by the Braves over a decade ago, has one of the more unfortunate stories of an ex-Braves player. He worked his way up the farm system to make his MLB debut in 2017 and enjoyed a fantastic 2018 season as Atlanta's go-to option at the hot corner.
,Then, as is the fate of so many promising young studs, Camargo started to decline. Atlanta designated him for assignment in 2021, and for the last few years he's been bouncing around different teams struggling to re-connect with his elite form. Since his career-best 2018 campaign, Camargo has been slashing .219/.272/.344.
Camargo has proven he can contribute on defense, but he never managed to carve out a consistent role in Atlanta's offense back then. He probably won't now. Why throw a wrench into the Braves' tried-and-true batting rotation?
Braves Rumors: If Ohtani's price comes down, would Braves consider it?
Any time the best player in the history of the league is available, a franchise would have to be off-the-rails insane to not at least consider bringing him on. So yes, the Braves would absolutely consider signing Shohei Ohtani this offseason. Doing so is a different question.
The Braves, soaring high in the NL with a star-studded roster, don't meet all of Ohtani's requirements. They do, however, meet maybe the most important: they are a winning franchise. Less than two seasons removed from their last World Series championship and en route to another one, Atlanta boasts both win-now potential and an organizational history of sustained winning and development that would make Ohtani forget all about his depressing Angels years.
Following news of Ohtani's UCL injury, the two-way phenom's price could drop. Two major elbow injuries in six years is enough to sprinkle a healthy portion of doubt in team owners' thoughts of signing Ohtani. Could the Braves swoop in at that point?
Ohtani is still projected to make history with his impending monster extension, which could amount to a half-billion in total value and more than $50 million annually. Maybe a little less than that after his injury news. Atlanta's front office would have to crunch the payroll numbers and decline certain players' club options, yet their roster is for the most part structured in a sustainable way. Seven of Atlanta's eight starters are signed long-term, several of whom have at least five years of contractual control.
Signing Ohtani would mean, for sure, that Max Fried is out. And the Braves wouldn't have money to spend on high-profile free agents for a while -- they would need to rely on their low-ranked farm system.
All factors considered, pros and cons both weighed, the Braves would and should consider pursuing Ohtani. It would be egregiously irresponsible not to.
