The Yankees are keeping tabs on the pitching market as they await Juan Soto’s decision.
Among the possibilities is a high-end starter who could team with Gerrit Cole atop the rotation.
According to industry sources, Yankees officials spoke this week on separate Zoom calls with Max Fried and Corbin Burnes.
Braves’ Max Fried pitches during a game against the Royals last season. Getty ImagesThe Yankees could look to upgrade a starting pitching unit that presently includes Cole, Luis Gil, Carlos Rodon, Nestor Cortes, Clarke Schmidt and Marcus Stroman.
Fried, who turns 31 next month, pitched to a 3.25 ERA in 29 starts for the Braves last season. The left-hander, a National League All-Star selection last season, logged 174 ¹/₃ innings in which he recorded 166 strikeouts.
The 30-year-old Burnes, a former Cy Young Award winner, pitched to a 2.92 ERA in 32 starts for the Orioles last season.
The right-hander threw 191 ¹/₃ innings and struck out 181. A source described the meeting with Burnes as “very good” and added that he’s open to playing in a big market after spending the first seven seasons of his major league career in Milwaukee and Baltimore.
Sources indicated that nine team officials, including general manager Brian Cashman, manager Aaron Boone and pitching coach Matt Blake joined in the Zoom call with Fried, which lasted more than an hour.
The Yankees are hardly alone among AL East teams showing interest in Fried — the Red Sox, Blue Jays and Orioles are also in on him.
Orioles pitcher Corbin Burnes throws a pitch during a game against the Royals last season. USA TODAY Sports via Reuters ConFried was expected to conduct multiple Zoom calls this week, ahead of the Winter Meetings, which run Sunday to Wednesday in Dallas.
Soto, the prize of this year’s free-agent class, is expected to choose a team before the meetings conclude. An industry source indicated the decision might be finalized this weekend.
With Soto almost certain to receive at least $600 million, it’s unlikely the Yankees would look to add a big-ticket pitcher if they were to retain the All-Star outfielder, but Fried could potentially be part of a Plan B if Soto were to sign with the Mets, Red Sox, Blue Jays or Dodgers — the other serious contenders for his services.
Blake Snell, regarded as the top left-handed starting pitcher on the market as free agency began, last week agreed to a five-year contract with the Dodgers worth $182 million.
The Yankees have plenty of payroll committed to the rotation for next season with Cole ($36 million) and Rodon ($27.83 million) atop the list. Stroman ($18.5 million) is a third veteran pitcher in the rotation with substantial cost attached.
— Additional reporting by Joel Sherman and Jon Heyman
