The Braves don’t want to think about it. Max Fried doesn’t want to think about it. The reader likely doesn’t want to think about it, either.
But it was an unavoidable thought. As Fried dazzled Friday night at Truist Park, his impending free agency loomed in the backdrop. It might’ve been Fried’s last home start as a Braves pitcher. Even if they make the postseason, there’s no guarantee they’ll host a game.
“I’d be lying (if I said) it didn’t cross my mind,” Fried said. If that was it, what a finale.
Fried pitched 8-2/3 scoreless innings, allowing three hits while striking out nine and walking two. The Braves defeated the Royals 3-0 in a must-win game as they vie for a wild-card spot. The lefty who’s delivered time and time again had at least one more masterpiece for the franchise that raised him. He left the mound to a standing ovation.
“It’s definitely a possibility (that was my final home start),” Fried said. “I hope I have many more deep into the playoffs, we go as far as we can and hopefully win the whole thing. But when I was walking off and hearing that (ovation), it was definitely emotional. Extremely thankful and very, very grateful.”
Notice Fried, while expressing hope for future starts here, limited his comment to the coming month. He’s maintained a very corporate-like demeanor when answering those inevitable inquiries since January. Fried saw Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson, two former teammates who were vocal about wanting to return, leave in free agency. He knows he doesn’t benefit from expressing an over-the-top desire to stay, even if that’s his preference.
He was asked again Friday if he hoped to remain with the Braves. His answer never deviates: He doesn’t know what the future holds and he loves the team. Time will tell. But his on-field expressions after an admittedly heavy night said more than he’ll ever say behind a mic.
“As he was walking back to the dugout, I saw he looked around and just took it in, soaked it in and started smiling,” second baseman Ozzie Albies, who debuted the same season as Fried and, alongside reliever A.J. Minter, has been his only constant teammate, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It was amazing. (He knew that might be his last start here so) that’s why he took it all in. I’m proud of him. What he did was special. I’m happy he got a great standing ovation.”
Albies continued when The AJC asked about his time as Fried’s teammate: “It’s meant a lot. He’s a great fighter. I’ll see him go down in the first inning then throws six shutout innings like it’s nothing. He’s a special, special guy. Great player.”
“Hoping he can come back because he’s a great pitcher. Every team needs a great starter like him.”
Fried’s latest showing reminds why he’ll be in such high demand. He’s among the most reliable southpaws when healthy. At his best, he’s an uber competitor who mows down lineups with seeming ease. A left-handed ace is perhaps baseball’s rarest commodity; Fried is just that, with injuries the only possible knock on his outlook. Manager Brian Snitker described Fried as “special, consistent, professional,” and reiterated how much he’s “loved” managing him.
“We’ve seen Max (step up when needed) how many times?” Snitker said. “Just Max coming up big when you need him. Have the game of his life – again.”
Nothing tops Fried’s World Series-clinching start in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series, but this one ranks highly. The Braves have no room for error. They’re fighting two other teams for two spots. Mother Nature hasn’t helped, halting their momentum and forcing them to play a doubleheader against the Mets Monday due to Hurricane Helene.
Fried provided everything they could’ve wanted: A win, a day of bullpen rest and an emotional jolt. Was Friday among the most significant starts of his career?
“I don’t know how to answer that,” Fried said minutes after the game. “Probably not? I’m not too sure about that. I just know it was a big game and if we want to go where we want to go, tonight was a big one and we needed to win it.”
That fits the Fried modus operandi. He’s typically very centered, maintaining a business-esque approach. His interviews can come off bland, much to a coach’s delight and journalist’s disappointment. He simply doesn’t feel compelled to share his insight publicly, which is part of what’s made him a respected player and teammate.
Consider Fried a classic, “Let my play speak for me.” His focused, sometimes-menacing look on the mound has always been a popular talking point. His off-field nonchalance the same. Ultimately, he’s embodied what the Braves want out of their ambassadors.
All that is why Friday – when he illustrated a clear feel for the night’s prominence – seemed so meaningful. A player for whom the moment is never too big welcomed getting shrouded in it, if only for a few seconds.
“That was a great ovation for a great pitcher,” Snitker said. “Those games are special for guys.”
The next time Fried pitches, it will either be in the postseason or after his free agency has concluded. What’s ahead is uncertain, but the past and present are certain: Fried has been a darn good Brave.
