The Atlanta Braves are aggressively trying to re-sign their starting pitcher, Max Fried, in free agency this winter. Fried has been a very consistent piece of the Braves rotation for the last eight years.
While in Atlanta, Fried has made 151 starts with a 3.07 ERA and a 1.16 WHIP. The southpaw has won three Gold Gloves and a World Series while with the Braves.
But now Fried is a free agent and money talks more than anything in these free agent negotiations. Spotrac projects Fried to land a six-year, $136 million contract this winter, but some projections have Fried earning more than $150 million.
If the Braves can't afford this, they need to have a few backup plans in place. They can't afford to miss on Fried and not land another pitcher in his place.
Who makes the most sense as a backup plan for the Braves?
RHP Sonny Gray, St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to rebuild their roster and a Sonny Gray trade would make a lot of sense for them. Gray has a no-trade clause, so any deal would need to be cleared by him first.
The Braves don't need a young prospect to fill Fried's role unless it's one of the top prospects in baseball. They have plenty of young arms still left to develop. Acquiring a guy like Gray who could give you a few years of solid production would be more than enough to bridge the gap until Atlanta's top prospects are big-league-ready.
LHP Garrett Crochet, Chicago White Sox
If the Braves are exploring the trade market, they could look to acquire the best arm on the market: Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet.
Crochet would require a huge haul to acquire, but that's something the Braves could explore. The flamethrowing southpaw would provide the Braves with one of the higher potential starters in the game.
Atlanta likely doesn't have the farm system to comfortably make this deal, but it's something worth exploring for sure.
RHP AJ Smith-Shawver, Atlanta Braves
An obvious answer for the Braves would be to elevate one of their top pitching prospects to fill the hole in the starting rotation. The best option in this scenario is AJ Smith-Shawver, assuming Spencer Schwellenbach is a lock to start the year in Atlanta.
Smith-Shawver is still just 22 years old and packs a lot of potential. He holds a 3.64 ERA in 29.2 big league innings, though he just hasn't stayed healthy enough to stick in the big leagues. Fried's departure could be the door opening for this top prospect to find his way in the big leagues.
RHP Charlie Morton, Free agent
Another obvious answer for the Braves to fill Fried's role would be to re-sign veteran righty Charlie Morton. Morton was excellent with the Braves last year and enters free agency with a contract projection of one year, $17 million, per Spotrac.
Morton won't be a Cy Young winner after turning 40 years old, but he would be a great middle-of-the-rotation starter for Atlanta. Even if the Braves can bring Fried back, they could still explore the idea of re-signing Morton too.
RHP Jack Flaherty, Free agent
Fried's in the top tier of starting pitchers in free agency. If Atlanta can't afford to acquire a pitcher in that top tier, looking in the next tier of pitchers would be a solid move to make.
Los Angeles Dodgers star Jack Flaherty is expected to be highly sought after this winter as he looks to secure a multi-year deal. Spotrac projects him to sign a three-year, $60 million deal. This sounds much more affordable for the Braves than Fried's deal which could venture into the $150 million range.
LHP Sean Manaea, Free Agent
The New York Mets are likely to part ways with lefty Sean Manaea as they look to bring in a few bigger, more expensive pitchers. This could leave the door wide open for the Braves to swoop in and steal one of their division rival's top 2024 arms.
Manaea posted a 3.47 ERA across 32 starts in his age-32 season. Spotrac projects him to sign a four-year, $64 million deal, though Atlanta may be happier with a two-year deal worth around $40 million. Either way, it's affordable for the Braves to do if they can't afford Fried.
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