Yankees Ace Opens Up About Almost Joining Red Sox This Offseason

Max Fried will be the ace of the New York Yankees this season after Gerrit Cole underwent Tommy John surgery.

It’s a role the veteran left-hander could have had with the Boston Red Sox.

The Red Sox pursued Fried this offseason, but ultimately watched him sign a lucrative eight-year, $218 million deal with the rival Yankees.

Fried faced off against the Red Sox in spring training action on Tuesday and pitched 4 1/3 scoreless innings with three strikeouts and no walks. Going up against the Red Sox brought up the recent memories for Fried of Boston’s offseason pursuit. And while it seemed like Fried was intrigued about pitching for the Red Sox, he couldn’t turn down all the Yankees offered him.

“They were interested and I met with the coaching staff and front office,” Fried told reporters, per MassLive’s Chris Cotillo. “Really nice, great people and I definitely considered them.

“I was open to meeting and hearing from any team that was interested. Whoever was interested in me, I was very much willing and open to meeting with everyone and see where it went.”

It’s easy to see why the Red Sox had their attention on Fried before pivoting to Garrett Crochet. Fried notched a 73-36 record with a 3.07 ERA over eight seasons with the Atlanta Braves.

Fried certainly looked into joining the Red Sox, but the team’s subpar defense — it led the American League in errors the past two seasons — might have been the determining factor in Fried deciding to put on pinstripes instead of signing with Boston.

“It was good to talk to him and understand what drives him and how he operates on the mound,” Red Sox manager Cora told reporters, per Cotillo. “He knew what he was talking about because he mentioned our defense. It’s a guy who they’re going to put the ball in play (against) so you’re going to have to play defense behind him. We actually told him we’re going to be better defensively.

“It just didn’t happen, but it’s a good kid who got rewarded. He has been on the big stage and has been successful. They got a good one.”