Is This Ace the Yankees Most Impactful Free Agent Signing Since CC Sabathia?

Max Fried was the second choice. The New York Yankees only pivoted to sign the left-handed starter after they lost the bidding war for free-agent slugger Juan Soto.

But Fried, who made his 2025 Spring Training debut Monday, is more than a consolation prize.

His free-agent signing could be the most impactful since the Yankees signed CC Sabathia. Signed to an eight-year, $218 million deal, Fried is the first ace-worthy left-handed starter the Yankees have had since the Sabathia. Like the newly elected Hall of Famer and beloved Yankee, Fried was signed with the idea that he makes the Yankees 2025 rotation a weapon to get them back into World Series contention.

Fried fills the void that the Yankees thought they were filling with Carlos Rodon in 2023. He balances the front of the rotation Yankees rotation that has been right-handed heavy for years. With elite command and the ability to shut down left-handed hitters, Fried has a 3.02 ERA and he will fit well in Yankee Stadium.

He has shown he can handle the pressure.

Fried dominated in the 2021 World Series, throwing six scoreless innings to win Game 6 against the Astros. They had a 1.70 ERA in those playoffs.

He has an elite ground-ball rate, which has been just over 50 percent in recent years, which is a perfect way to counter Yankee Stadium's short porch in right field. He limits home runs, which is huge in the American League East, where he will face power-heavy lineups with sluggers like Vladimir Guerrero, Jr., Rafael Devers, and Gunnar Henderson.

With Fried, the Yankees now have a rotation built for October. Gerrit Cole is a Cy Young winner and postseason veteran, and Fried is a proven October performer. That's a really tough one-two punch. 

Between Carlos Rodon (if he rebounds), Luis Gil (if healthy) and Clarke Schmidt (if healthy), the Yankees can round out a short rotation for a playoff series that will be dangerous.

Fried's signing may have been the fallback position, but it makes this Yankees rotation the most talented and balanced it has been in years. The record-setting deal for a left-hander is a big investment, but it might be the smartest money the Yankees have spent in a while.