The New York Yankees reached an agreement on Tuesday with Jewish pitcher Max Fried, 30, for the largest guarantee issued to a left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball history.
The eight-year, $218 million offer is also considered the fourth-highest deal for any MLB pitcher.
This ranks behind Dodgers players Shohei Ohtani (10 years, $700 million) and Yoshinobu Yamamoto (12 years, $325 million) and Yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole (nine years, $324 million).
The deal, which is pending a physical, is the 12th contract worth more than $100 million that the Yankees have given out in franchise history.
The Toronto Blue Jays, Texas Rangers and Boston Red Sox also pursued Fried.
“He’s one of the game’s really, really good pitchers and has a really good track record now of success,” Aaron Boone, manager of the Yankees, said on Wednesday. “He’s a special talent.”
Fried spent seven years with the Atlanta Braves and became a two-time All-Star in 2022 and 2024. Last season, Fried pitched to an 11-10 record and a 3.25 earned run average in 29 starts. He managed 166 strikeouts.
