Max Fried Rumors: Red Sox, Blue Jays Among Teams Interested Amid Yankees Buzz

Max Fried is one of the best free agents available this offseason, and a number of teams have reportedly already checked in on the left-handed pitcher.

Jon Heyman of the New York Post reported Wednesday that the Baltimore Orioles, Toronto Blue Jays and Boston Red Sox have all expressed interest in the veteran. What's more, the New York Yankees looked into him, meaning this could be a race between the majority of the American League East.

The Yankees may or may not be a realistic landing spot depending on how the rest of the offseason unfolds for the reigning American League champions.

Heyman noted they also checked on Corbin Burnes and Blake Snell but are waiting for a decision from slugger Juan Soto. Given the amount of money Soto is expected to land on his next contract, it may not be realistic for even the Yankees to sign an ace-caliber starting pitcher in the same offseason.

And an ace-caliber pitcher is what Fried can be at his best.

The 30-year-old has a World Series title, three Gold Gloves and two All-Star selections on his resume. He finished fifth in National League Cy Young voting in 2020 and second in 2022 and was again excellent this past season.

Fried posted a 3.25 ERA, 1.16 WHIP and 166 strikeouts in 174.1 innings. That the impressive ERA was his highest mark since 2019 underscores how consistent he has been throughout his career with the Atlanta Braves.

The southpaw turns 31 years old in January, so this offseason may be his final opportunity to land a significant multi-year contract as a free agent. Having division rivals such as the Red Sox, Blue Jays, Orioles and, perhaps, Yankees all involved would likely drive up the price, as they wouldn't want to see him end up elsewhere in the AL East.

He, along with Burnes and Snell, represents the type of free-agent signing that could drastically raise the ceiling for a starting pitching rotation, and it comes as no surprise some of the league's most notable teams and contenders have already expressed interest.