The Braves were able to avoid arbitration by reaching agreements with both Max Fried and A.J. Minter before deadline.
Max Fried and A.J. Minter have reached new agreements, so the Atlanta Braves won’t need to bring any of their own players to arbitration at the end of the winter.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, Fried and the team reached an agreement on a $15 million contract for 2024, while Minter received $6.22 million for the next campaign.
The only players eligible for arbitration from Atlanta who hadn’t signed were Fried and Minter.
Fried and the Braves were able to avoid arbitration for the third straight summer thanks to the arrangement. Reaching a decision ahead of schedule, after what is usually a tense process, could bode well for Fried’s long-term future with the only major league organization he has pitched for.
Despite struggling with ailments during the 2023 season, the left-hander was effective when he took the mound. With 14 starts, an 8-1 record, and an ERA+ of 174, he wrapped up his season. In 77.2 innings, he struck out 80 batters and just walked 18.
For multiple seasons, Fried has been an invaluable member of the Braves’ staff. In 2021 and 2022, he took the ball on Opening Day. From 2020 to 2022, he won three straight seasons of the Gold Glove Award.
During that time, he also attracted a lot of attention for the Cy Young Award; he came in second in 2022 and fifth in the 202 vote.
Fried committed to a one-year contract, positioning himself for free agency in 2025.
Minter’s new contract came with a sizable compensation increase. After earning $1.3 million in 2021 and $2.2 million in 2022, the left-handed reliever brought in $4.3 million in 2023.
Last season, he recorded the highest number of strikeouts (82 in 64.2 innings) of any Braves reliever and finished sixth on the team with an ERA+ of 118.