Max Fried thought about his dog when asked how he would spend his fortune. No, not the hot, summer days, but time with Apollo, his 3-year-old mutt.
“The first thing that kind of popped into my mind was probably just like getting my dog a bunch of dog food,” Fried said on Wednesday at Yankee Stadium. This was the day after he finalized his $218 million, eight-year contract, the richest ever for a left-handed pitcher.
Apollo, who is not as famous as Shohei Ohtani’s dog Decoy, is expected to get more attention next season. Fried named his dog after the Greek god, not initially thinking of the similarity to the antagonist Apollo Creed from the first two “Rocky” movies.
“It just happened to line up that his name is Apollo Fried, so it sounds like Apollo Creed,” Fried said. “So I took that and ran with it like I did it on purpose.”
After eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves, including a World Series win in 2021 where he pitched six scoreless innings against Houston in Game 6, Fried now joins a starting rotation for the Yankees. This rotation is projected to include Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, and Marcus Stroman.
Fried was surprised when he found out he would be joining the Yankees.
“I was fairly surprised at the beginning, but when the Yankees say that they’re interested in you, you perk up and you listen,” he said. “You just know the standard that the Yankees hold, and putting on the pinstripes there’s a certain responsibility and expectation that comes with that, and I’m extremely excited to take that on.”
When Fried walked through the Yankees’ clubhouse last week, he noticed a message on the wall: “Prepare, compete, and win.” These words really stood out to him as a player.
In their pursuit to win the World Series for the first time since 2009, the Yankees’ general manager Brian Cashman made quick moves after missing out on outfielder Juan Soto, who signed with the Mets. New York also added closer Devin Williams from Milwaukee and outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger from the Cubs.
Fried was introduced at a Yankee Stadium news conference, where flowers were presented to his mom, Carrie, by manager Aaron Boone and to his girlfriend, Reni Whalley, by Cashman.
“A lot of people have worn these pinstripes and there’s a certain feel,” Fried said. “I’m excited about being able to put the pinstripes on in Yankee Stadium for the Yankees. It’s one of the most storied, winning franchises in sports, and I want to be able to do my part.”
Fried’s contract includes a $20 million signing bonus, which will be paid in two parts, with the second payment coming on Jan. 31, 2026. His salaries for the first two seasons are $12 million each, while the remaining six seasons will pay him $29 million each. He also has a full no-trade clause.
Boone recalled a meeting with Fried during a Zoom call and remembered how he performed when he pitched against the Yankees in Atlanta.
“You kind of see him in there and soft-spoken and kind of articulate and reserved, but this is a guy that’s kind of tenacious between the lines,” Boone said. “I was like, man, this guy’s just kind of cutting us up and doing it in a lot of different ways.”
Fried has been on the injured list 10 times since 2018, with blisters being the most common injury, along with strained hamstrings.
“Being down in the South, in Atlanta with the humid summers, probably didn’t help as far as just blisters,” he said. “The medical staff down there was fantastic in being able to help me figure out a routine that works and be able to mitigate all that.”
Over the past five seasons, Fried has a record of 54-25 with a 2.81 ERA in 112 starts. He was among only three pitchers to throw two complete games this year, when there were only 16 complete games in the major leagues.
Fried, who is a three-time Gold Glove winner and turns 31 on Jan. 18, has one of the most varied pitching repertoires in baseball, throwing seven different pitches. His fastball averaged 93.9 mph this year, thrown 33.6% of the time. He also threw curveballs 21% of the time, sinkers 15.6%, changeups 13.6%, sweepers 5.9%, sliders 5.6%, and cutters 4.7%.
This past season, Fried was 11-10 with a 3.25 ERA in 29 starts, striking out 166 and walking a career-high 57 in 174 1/3 innings.
“There’s a level of improvement going forward just with how the arsenal can be crafted and pulled apart, and there’s some room to evolve with us,” pitching coach Matt Blake said.
