The New York Yankees are not taking their offseason lightly as they aim to build a rotation capable of delivering a championship. On Wednesday, the team reportedly held Zoom meetings with two of the most coveted free-agent pitchers on the market: left-handed ace Max Fried and former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes. According to Michael Kay, the Yankees’ meeting with Fried went “very well,” with Fried showing significant interest in the team.
Both pitchers bring elite talent and unique skill sets to the table, and adding either would dramatically reshape the Yankees’ rotation for the 2025 season.
Max Fried: The Southpaw Ace
Max Fried has consistently been one of the MLB‘s most reliant and dominant left-handed starters. In 2024, the 30-year-old tossed 174.1 innings, hosting a 3.25 ERA. His strikeouts settled in at 8.57 per nine, enjoying a 72.5% left-on-base rate and a 58.8% ground ball rate. He collected 3.4 WAR, showcasing his value, and considering he pitched over 165 innings in three of his last four seasons, the Yankees can feel good about his bill of health.
Fried also has extensive postseason experience, enjoying 67 innings in elimination rounds. He’s been a bit volatile in the playoffs, but that experience shouldn’t be overlooked and is undoubtedly valuable to the Yankees. Fried utilizes a four-seam fastball, curveball, sinker, and change-up as his primary four pitches. He threw his fastball 33.6% this past season, enjoying a .266 batting average and a .360 slugging rate. While Fried certainly isn’t a high strikeout starter, he induces weak contact and ground balls, which fits nicely in Yankee Stadium.
Adding Fried to the rotation would also provide the Yankees with a much-needed left-handed balance alongside Gerrit Cole, Clarke Schmidt, and Carlos Rodón. Fried’s ability to eat innings and control the tempo of games would not only boost the Yankees’ chances in critical matchups but also ease the workload on the bullpen.
Corbin Burnes: The Strikeout Machine
Corbin Burnes, on the other hand, posted a 2.92 ERA over 194.1 innings this past season. His strikeouts have been dipping for several years, settling in at just 8.38 in 2024. He did post a 75.5% left on base and a 48.2% ground ball rate. Burnes collected 3.7 WAR, just slightly more than Fried, but is expected to land a deal of about $10 million more per season. With declining strikeout numbers, the Yankees may want to sidestep the increased cost of Burnes and take a slightly more risky approach with Fried, who has the same amount of talent but offers lefty dominance.
Burnes’ cutter is one of the most devastating pitches in baseball, thrown 45% of the time in 2024 with a 95.3 mph average velocity. The pitch generated a .251 batting average against and a .362 slugging percentage, showcasing its effectiveness in both generating outs and limiting damage. Adding Burnes would give the Yankees another frontline starter who can overpower hitters and thrive in the hitter-friendly environment of Yankee Stadium.
How They Fit Into the Yankees’ Rotation
The Yankees currently boast Gerrit Cole as their ace. The 34-year-old is coming off a down season, tossing just 95 innings, dealing with a number of injuries. This was his first season where he faced a bit of adversity, hosting a 3.41 ERA. His strikeouts have been dipping for the last two years but he still managed to win the Cy Young award in 2023. The Yankees aren’t concerned about him bouncing back, but they do want to have a secondary Ace in the rotation as a insurance policy.
Carlos Rodón, while talented, had an inconsistent 2024 season marred by injuries and underperformance. Clarke Schmidt showed flashes of reliability, but his ceiling is likely as a middle-of-the-rotation arm. Nestor Cortes, the Yankees’ crafty lefty, struggled with injuries and posted a 3.77 ERA over 174.1 innings. Cortes’ effectiveness as a starter is unquestionable, but his durability remains a concern.
The Nestor Cortes Factor
If the Yankees secure Fried, a lefty with proven ace potential, it opens the door for the team to explore trading Nestor Cortes. Cortes, under team control for two more seasons, would be an attractive piece for other teams seeking a cost-effective and reliable starter. Trading Cortes could also help the Yankees address other areas of need, such as bullpen depth or additional offensive support.
Fried’s addition would provide the Yankees with a left-handed presence that effectively replaces Cortes in the rotation while offering a higher ceiling and more stability than Rodón.