Just days after losing the best hitter on the free agent market, the New York Yankees have acquired the best left-handed pitcher.

They signed two-time All-Star Max Fried, soon to be 31, to an eight-year, $218 million contract that will become official if he passes the physical.

Along with veteran right-hander Gerrit Cole, a former Cy Young Award winner, Fried gives the Yankees a strong left-right tandem at the top of their rotation. He also continues a team tradition of strong southpaws that dates back to Hall of Famer Whitey Ford but also includes current Cooperstown prospects CC Sabathia and Andy Pettitte.

To get Fried, the Yankees had to wage their second bidding war of the week.

Following Juan Soto’s loss to the crosstown Mets on Tuesday, the Yankees extended their original offer for an eighth year, according to MLB Network’s Jon Morosi. The terms of the deal were reported by Jeff Passan of ESPN.

Yankees increase their offer

With the Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays and Texas Rangers also finalists for Fried, according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Yankees dug deep to secure the pitcher’s signature. He ended up with more years and more money than Blake Snell, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers last month.

That signing may have knocked the Santa Monica native Fried out of a reunion with his former Atlanta teammate Freddie Freeman, most recently the World Series MVP whose home run heroics gave the 2024 Dodgers the World Series over the Yankees in five games .

Fried, a control artist known for keeping the ball in the park, will earn an average annual salary of $27.25 million per year. No money is set aside and no opt-outs are provided.

What the Yankees are losing

Because Fried rejected a qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves, his only major league team to date, the Yankees will lose their second- and fifth-highest picks in the 2025 amateur draft plus $1 million in international bonus pool money.

But owner Hal Steinbrenner had to ease the fears of Yankee fans disappointed that he couldn’t extend Soto, who hit a career-best 41 homers last season.

Fried will join a rotation led by Cole and American League Rookie of the Year Luis Gil. The selection then ranges from Carlos Rodon, who like Fried is a left-handed hitter, to the right-handers Marcus Stroman and Clarke Schmidt.

However, the team still needs help at other positions, as only shortstop Anthony Volpe is a sure bet in the infield and only American League MVP Aaron Judge is a sure thing to start in the outfield.

The money the Yankees saved by losing Soto could be used to address those concerns.

Fried, whose first full season as a starter was in 2019, has posted a stellar 3.07 earned run average in 824 2/3 innings since then. He has a 73-36 record in eight seasons in the majors.

Despite signing Fried, the Yankees have a projected payroll of $257 million, according to Roster Resource, behind the Mets and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Now that Fried has agreed to terms, Corbin Burnes, a former Cy Young Award winner most recently with the Baltimore Orioles, is the top free agent on the market. His asking price likely skyrocketed after signing Fried.

Braves not involved

Fried’s previous team, the Braves, were never serious bidders. Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos has a reputation for expanding position players because he fears pitchers are getting injured more often.

In fact, Spener Strider, the Braves’ only young arm to receive a long-term contract, missed most of the 2024 season after suffering an elbow injury after two starts.

Atlanta’s likely pitchers for next season include veteran lefty Chris Sale, who is coming off an 18-win season that earned him his first Cy Young Award; fellow veteran Reynaldo Lopez, who successfully transitioned from reserve to starter; and teenagers Spencer Löhnebach and Strider.

Candidates for the fifth spot include former postseason hero Ian Anderson, former All-Star Bryce Elder and freshmen AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep.

After surprisingly winning the World Series in 2021, the Braves had two 100-win seasons without reaching the Finals again. The Yankees last won a World Series in 2009.