JUST IN: Alex Anthopolous addresses Max Fried’s pending free agency

Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves are never ones to let a story slide. They do not discuss current discussions, whether with players on the roster, free agents, or other teams attempting to deal. It’s practically difficult to predict when anything is going to happen, and that’s how every business should want to operate.

However, the media will continue to press Anthopoulos about Max Fried’s upcoming free agency. The Braves’ ace will become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season, which is once again a major topic of discussion as Spring Training begins.

“I would not announce it if we did,” Anthopoulos told Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “I am certain that our lads understand where they stand with us. Max surely does. I witnessed his answers at Braves Fest. I thought they were excellent. That was not me sitting down with him and saying, ‘Hey, let’s agree to say this.’ That was just Max being honest, you understand?”

In many respects, the Atlanta Braves and Max Fried are a perfect fit. He’s the quintessential competitor who has done nothing but help the team win since the Braves acquired him in a trade with the Padres, whether it’s from the bullpen or as a starter. He has grown into the team’s ace over the years, but there is nothing showy about the way he conducts himself. He arrives to work, absorbs information like a sponge, and then performs.

There’s nothing special about him. There isn’t much information available about Max Fried’s personal life, and his responses are always that of a polished professional; the only thing we know about him is how fiercely competitive he is on the mound.

That is why it should come as no surprise that Fried and Anthopoulos’ answers are nearly identical.

“This is all I really know,” Fried told Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “This organization has been nothing but supportive of me. I know the supporters and the city have enthusiastically welcomed me. I have truly liked my time here.”

Fried’s tenure with the Braves has had a multifaceted impact on him. Unfortunately, that is usually insufficient to persuade a young man from Southern California to stick around at a discount. Money talks, and if the Braves want to keep their rotation intact, they must open up the chequebook in a way they haven’t done since Alex Anthopoulos’ free agency.