Report: Athletics were ‘aggressive’ Fried suitor before Yankees deal originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The Athletics have been aggressive in trying to improve the starting lineup this offseason.

After signing veteran right-handed pitcher Luis Severino to a franchise-record three-year, $67 million contract last week, the Athletics were surprisingly one of the most “aggressive” teams in pursuing free-agent left-handed pitcher Max Fried Before he agreed, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Wednesday that he was signing an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday have.

It’s unclear whether the Athletics officially offered Fried a contract, but if they had, Severino’s current franchise-record contract likely would have been wiped out.

Fried made 29 starts for the Atlanta Braves throughout the 2024 MLB season, posting a 3.25 ERA in 174 1/3 innings with 166 strikeouts and 57 walks.

The Athletics are notoriously not a team that often goes after the very best free agents on the market, and the reported level of interest in Fried certainly comes as a surprise to many.

However, their alleged efforts were unsuccessful, and now Fried is joining a Yankees American League team that will face the Athletics in a total of six games during the 2025 season.