Yankees make big announcement after loss to Pirates
· Yahoo Sports
TAMPA, Fla. — Yankees manager Aaron Boone mentioned how much he enjoyed watching Max Fried’s one-run, four-plus innings Grapefruit League start against the Pirates on Monday night, then the skipper broke some news at the tail end of his short post-game news conference.
When someone asked if he’d decided on an Opening Day starter, Boone responded, “It’ll be Max, yeah.”
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This news is no surprise, of course, not with 2024 AL Cy Young winner Gerrit Cole and 2025 All-Star Carlos Rodon starting the season on the injured list. Also, Fried led the majors with 19 wins in 2025, his season with the Yankees after signing an eight-year, $218-million contract in December 2024.
Last year, Rodon started on Opening Day and Fried debuted as a Yankee in game two.
Fried probably will make two more starts on regular regular rest, then get one extra day off before Opening Day in San Francisco on March 25.
The Opening Day assignment will the third for Fried, who started the Braves’ openers in 2021 and 2022.
In Monday night’s 5-3 Yankees loss, Fried retired 12 of 13 Pirates before Endy Rodriguez led off the Pittsburgh fourth with a homer.
That was it for Fried, who allowed two hits, struck out six and walked none in a 67-pitch outing that was up from 56 in his first spring training start.
“I thought he looked great,” Boone said. “I told him that was fun to watch because it was kind of one of those nights where he had it all working. I thought he got into a really good rhythm having a little bit of length in there with the (67) pitches.
“I thought his cutter was really good early. The four-seem (fastball) he finished a couple guys with, then (he threw) some really good changeups. He spun the ball well.
“Yeah, I thought he was really sharp.”
This was Fried’s first official Grapefruit League start and second of the spring counting his three scoreless innings in an exhibition last week against Panama’s WBC team.
In his first start, Fried allowed only one hit, but he walked three and fanned just one.
“As far as last time to this time, way better,” Fried said. “More consistent. I was able to execute what I wanted to do and being able to focus a little bit more on my game plan, my process.”
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