There is life after Juan Soto. There are still hundreds of millions of dollars for Hal Steinbrenner to spend.
After losing the sport’s biggest free agent to another borough, the Yankees made their first splash of the offseason in agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million deal with former Braves southpaw Max Fried.
It is the largest contract ever given to a left-handed pitcher, the fourth-largest of any pitcher. The soon-to-be 31-year-old received a full no-trade clause, and the contract has no opt-outs or deferred money.
Adding Fried enhances one of the deepest rotations in baseball — featuring Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodón, Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman — giving the Yankees increased flexibility, with multiple attractive trade chips.
