Yankees' Updated Rotation, Payroll After Max Fried's Rumored 8-Year, $218M Contract

The New York Yankees have added another star pitcher to the top of their rotation.

The Yankees signed left-hander Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract, per ESPN's Jeff Passan.

Fried and returning ace Gerrit Cole are now set to lead the Yankees rotation into the 2025 season.

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Projected 2025 Yankees rotation

1. Gerrit Cole
2. Max Fried
3. Carlos Rodón
   
4. Luis Gil
   
5. Clarke Schmidt

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The Yankees had a $193 million current total and $229 million projected total on the 2025 payroll prior to the Fried signing, according to Spotrac.

Fried is set to earn an average of $27.25 million per year through the 2032 season.

His contract has no deferred money and contains no opt-outs, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The left-hander will undergo a physical before the deal is finalized, per Mark W. Sanchez of the New York Post.

Fried recorded a 3.25 ERA through 29 games and 174.1 innings pitched during his second All-Star campaign with the Atlanta Braves in 2024. He and Cole have both dealt with injuries in the past, but if healthy will make for one of the best 1-2 pitching combos in the AL.

Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman are also candidates for the rotation.

The signing leaves the Yankees with an apparent glut of starters in the Bronx and raises the possibility that one of these pitchers could be dealt this offseason.

The most obvious candidate would be Stroman, who was not part of the Yankees' rotation during the 2024 postseason. He has one year remaining at $18.3 million, with a vesting option for 2026 hinging on an innings pitched minimum.

Cortes was previously the subject of trade rumors amid a slump during the 2024 season. He could be an attractive trade candidate thanks to the one year he has remaining under arbitration.

It seems likely the Yankees are due for more roster changes after losing out on the bidding for star outfielder Juan Soto.

The club has been tied with interest in outfield trade candidates Cody Bellinger and Kyle Tucker as well as free-agent third baseman Alex Bregman, per MLB.com's Mark Feinsand. Now that Soto has turned down the Yankees' reported 16-year, $760 million offer in order to cross the river to Queens, owner Hal Steinbrenner likely has the payroll to make some more offseason moves.