On the December afternoon Max Fried was formally fitted for pinstripes, the left-hander spoke about looking forward to pairing with Gerrit Cole at the top of the Yankees' rotation, saying that he would be “excited to sit and watch every single one of his starts.

While the loss of long-time ace Gerrit Cole has no doubt harmed the New York Yankees' hopes in 2025 and stripped them from a steadying presence at the front of the rotation, they do have another ace ready to step into that particular breach.

TAMPA, Fla. — Besides the humongous paychecks Max Fried signed up for when picking the Yankees during his winter free agency, $27.25 million for the next eight seasons for a grand total of $218 million, the now ex-Atlanta Braves staff ace was looking forward to being a No. 1A starter.