Max Fried, A.J. Minter land new Braves contracts to avoid arbitration.
The Atlanta Braves will conclude their offseason without having to take any of their own players to arbitration after coming to terms on new deals with both Max Fried and A.J. Minter.
Fried and the team agreed to a salary of $15 million for 2024, while Minter landed $6.22 million for the upcoming season, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
Fried and Minter had been Atlanta’s only arbitration-eligible players not yet signed.
Common ground for Fried, Braves a positive sign?
With the agreement, Fried and the Braves avoided going to arbitration for the third consecutive offseason. Often a contentious process, coming to an agreement prior might indicate some positive signs for Fried’s long-term future with the only team he has pitched for at the major league level.
The left-hander battled injuries throughout the 2023 season, but was impressive when he did take the mound. He finished his season with an 8-1 record in 14 starts and a 174 ERA+. He struck out 80 batters in 77.2 innings while walking just 18.
Fried has been a valuable member of the Braves’ staff for several seasons. He took the ball on Opening Day in both 2021 and 2022, and won the Gold Glove Award in three consecutive seasons from 2020-2022.
He also garnered serious Cy Young Award attention during that span, finishing fifth in the 202 voting and landing as runner-up in 2022.
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