Before the New York Yankees signed left-handed pitcher Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract, the Athletics were reportedly among the most aggressive teams in pursuit of him.

It is unclear if the A’s ever made an official offer to Max Fried and, if they did, what the contract terms were, but we can speculate that the offer was made if the A’s were “one of the most aggressive teams” in pursuit of the dominant lefty.

This news comes just five days after the A’s uncharacteristically spent big money and signed right-hander Luis Severino to the biggest deal in franchise history: a three-year $67 million deal.

So, the question has to be asked: if the A’s are reportedly willing to pursue one of the best pitchers on the market, what is their next move?

The A’s are after starting pitching, with some of the bigger names off the market, who could they go after next? Sean Manaea was rumored to be an A’s target before they pivoted to Severino, and with Manaea still unsigned, they could resume their pursuit. Corbin Burnes and Jack Flaherty sure seemed like “unrealistic” targets before the news of Fried. The Athletics could pivot and make a splash landing another top right-handed pitcher.

Nick Pivetta and Trevor Williams are interesting right-handed pitchers who performed well in 2024 before their injuries. The A’s may be able to sign one of them to a short-term contract, like Severino’s, and have a solid one-two punch leading their rotation.

The A’s want to up their payroll to around $100 million, and after the Severino deal and projected arbitration contracts, the payroll sits at around $78.44 million. If the A’s seriously want to get their payroll near $100 million, they have a good chunk of money to offer to free agents. They’ll also have incentive to reach that magical number.

While pitching is the biggest need for the A’s, they have some holes in the lineup and on the field. Eventually, they will have to make some upgrades there as well, and they have a lot of options in free agency.

ATLANTA – A moped driver has died in a crash overnight in northeast Atlanta.

Police say the crash happened just before midnight on Tuesday on North Highland Avenue near Adair Avenue.

According to investigators, the man was driving erratically when a car struck him near the intersection.

The driver of the car stayed at the scene and is cooperating with the investigation, officers tell FOX 5.

Police have not released the moped driver’s identity and are working to contact his next of kin.

Officials have not said whether any charges will be filed in connection with the deadly crash.

The Atlanta Braves were dealt a spot of bad news on Tuesday when Max Fried inked an eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees. That’s one of those deals that is destined to age poorly, so this isn’t necessarily a period of mourning. After eight seasons of Fried in Atlanta, however, it’ll be a bit strange to watch him in pinstripes.

His departure — overpaid or not — does leave a hole in the Braves rotation. Pitching depth has been an ongoing issue for Brian Snitker’s group. Spencer Strider is expected back next season, but he’s still recovering from Tommy John surgery. Chris Sale is coming off his first healthy campaign in ages, which feels ominous when looking ahead to 2025. Reynaldo Lopez, historically, has not been a picture of durability either.

Atlanta has already lost Fried. Charlie Morton’s future hangs in the balance. The rotation will look vastly different next season. There are potential in-house replacements, such as AJ Smith-Shawver or Bryce Elder, but Braves fans would prefer a more ambitious replacement plan. Alex Anthopoulos has a fairly unambiguous mandate to deliver a winner and the Braves are desperate to wash out the bad taste of last season.

Here is what the Braves’ healthy 2025 rotation would look like in a perfect world.

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There is lingering uncertainty about when exactly Strider will return and how much rust will stick, but he began last season as the National League Cy Young favorite for a reason. Still 26 years old, Strider should have plenty left in the tank. It’d be shocking if Strider wasn’t performing at something approximately his usual level by the end of the 2025 campaign.

Sale, meanwhile, is the reigning National League Cy Young winner. That speaks for itself. He arrived in Atlanta and immediately revolutionized his approach, finding new life as one of the game’s most dominant aces. Sale was hurt in the playoffs, and it’s fair to wonder how durable the 35-year-old is moving forward, but his peak can still rival anybody in MLB.

Lopez made the leap from reliever to a starting gig in 2024 and found a gear we didn’t know was possible. He made 26 appearances (25 starts), posting a nutty 1.99 ERA and 1.11 WHIP. It’s only reasonable to expect some regression, but Lopez proved his mettle rather convincingly. The numbers don’t lie. Nor does the All-Star bid.

That brings us to Sasaki, who is probably the most sought-after free agent left on the board. Since he doesn’t have the requisite professional experience, Sasaki will sign as an international prospect this winter, capping his annual salary around $7 million. That puts the Braves on the same financial playing field as everybody else.

There has been speculation that Sasaki might prefer the West Coast, but Atlanta’s player development pipeline is rock solid and there are few deeper, more well-established contenders in the sport. The Braves are a perfect landing spot on paper, and Alex Anthopoulos should really focus his offseason time and resources on impressing Sasaki. The 23-year-old has immediate ace potential and would give Atlanta a genuine building block for the future.

Rounding out the rotation is Schwellenbach, who finished his rookie campaign with a 3.35 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across 21 starts. The Braves finally struck gold on one of their young pitchers; Schwellenbach is just 24 and he already looks the part of a postseason weapon, so the Braves should continue to prop him up.