Max Fried receives qualifying offer from Braves

ATLANTA — Max Fried received a qualifying offer from the Braves on Monday. The veteran left-hander will now await the much more lucrative offers that await him as a free agent.

Teams must make a qualifying offer to position themselves for Draft pick compensation in the event the player ends up signing elsewhere. So, the Braves made Fried this offer, a one-year deal worth $21.05 million, fully expecting him to reject it before the deadline at 4 p.m. ET on Nov. 19.

Because the Braves exceeded the Competitive Balance Tax last year, they would receive a pick after the fourth round of the 2025 Draft if Fried signs with another team.

Fried was one of the key acquisitions the Braves made during the massive rebuild that positioned them to win six straight National League East titles (2018-23) and make a seventh straight postseason appearance this past year. He debuted for Atlanta in August 2017 and notched a career-high 17 wins in ’19.

Fried finished fifth in Cy Young Award balloting in 2020 and second after the ’22 season. The 30-year-old, two-time All-Star has posted a 2.80 ERA while totaling 73 starts over the past three seasons. His success has enabled him to enter the free-agent market as one of the top pitchers available.