Contract terminated: I’m leaving! Brave Fried’ finally makes his last decision after been given lesser than 24hrs today to make his ultimate decision” aim current sad departure. See details..

Contract terminated: I’m leaving! Brave Fried’ finally makes his last decision after been given lesser than 24hrs today to make his ultimate decision” aim current sad departure. See details..

Thirteen Major Leaguers got qualifying offers totaling $21.05 million, including Max Fried. Although Reds star Nick Martinez accepted the one-year contract yesterday, it is nearly a certain that Fried will turn down the quarterback in the hopes of signing a multi-year contract in free agency.

I’ll briefly discuss what Fried’s likely rejection of the quarterback this offseason means and doesn’t imply for Atlanta.

Fried must make a decision by 4 p.m. EST today.

Since today is the deadline for qualifying offers, we anticipate hearing from the Braves about their official rejection at any moment. After that, Max Fried’s agent will start taking calls from all 29 MLB teams seriously in order to determine where his demands begin.

The draft compensation associated with a qualifying offer is the most important thing you should be aware of if it is rejected. A draft pick is returned to each team that loses a free agent who was a quarterback as payment for the player’s departure. The team’s payroll and position in the Competitive Balance Tax define that draft pick’s level.

If Fried signs elsewhere, the Braves would earn a draft pick after the fourth round because they did surpass the CBT threshold in 2024. Depending on their tax rate and the number of free agents they sign with quarterbacks, Fried’s new team would also lose a draft pick in this scenario.

The implications of this for Atlanta’s offseason are then discussed. The first is a straightforward but necessary reminder: Fried has the option to return to the Braves on a multi-year contract even if he declines the QO.

This offseason, the Braves have already made some budget wiggle room, and Anthopoulos has stated that payroll will increase in 2025. The QO denial wouldn’t make Fried’s return impossible, but it’s still doubtful.

Additionally, teams won’t be queuing up to sign the 30-year-old lefty just because Fried was rejected as a quarterback. You only need to examine the previous season as excellent illustrations of that. Blake Snell only signed a two-year (opt-out) $62 million contract last winter, despite having recently won a 2023 Cy Young award.

The route back to Atlanta becomes more feasible if Fried’s market drags on and the Braves still need a top-of-the-rotation arm.