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.

With Gerrit Cole down for the count, the New York Yankees are going to need to get even more out of Max Fried in his first year with the team. If he pitches well, the Atlanta Braves may regret letting him walk.

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.