The more days pass by, the more it seems that Atlanta Braves fans will have to prepare for the reality that their longest-tenured starting pitcher won't be back in 2025.
Max Fried first debuted with the Braves in 2017, and has been one of the most consistent hurlers in Major League Baseball since he became a regular in 2019. He's been a two-time All-Star, won three Gold Gloves, and started the clinching game of the 2021 World Series.
The Braves aren't typically big spenders when it comes to free-agent pitchers, however, and they were never able to work out an extension for the now-31-year-old Fried.