The New York Yankees weren't Max Fried's top choice in free agency initially. But, as Fried said Wednesday during his introductory press conference in the Bronx, when he heard that New York was interested, it immediately caught his attention.
"Initially, I'd heard that the Yankees had interest and I would say that I was fairly surprised in the beginning," Fried said. "When the Yankees say they're interested in you, you perk up and you listen. There's a standard and it's an extremely storied franchise."
So, Fried got on a Zoom call with Yankees brass, where he saw a familiar face in Senior Adviser to Baseball Operations Omar Minaya, who was a member of the San Diego Padres organization when they drafted Fried in 2012.
But something else caught Fried's attention when he walked through the team's clubhouse, which ultimately resonated with the two-time All-Star and 2021 World Series champion.
"There's three words that were put up on the wall - Prepare, Compete, and Win. To me as a competitor, as a player, it really resonated with me."
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Max Fried talks about what drew him to the Yankees: pic.twitter.com/Zqs0f55o2M
"I was walking through the clubhouse and there's three words that were put up on the wall ... Prepare, Compete, and Win," Fried said. "And I thought a lot about that. To me as a competitor, as a player, it really resonated with me."
And ultimately, it was the Yankees' commitment to winning that won Fried over.
"Winning is a big priority for me," Fried said. "And at the end of the day, every single year, the Yankees come to spring training, the number one goal is to win a World Series. It's not to get to the playoffs, it's not to do anything besides hold up the trophy at the end of the year."
For Fried, whose deal with the Yankees spans eight years, the commitment to winning is of big importance to him. In eight seasons in Atlanta, Fried was a member of seven postseason teams, including a World Series-winning club in 2021.
And in his short time as a member of the Yankees, Fried has watched as the club, which lost out on top free agent Juan Soto, has dealt for one of the top relievers in baseball in Devin Williams, as well as a former National League MVP in Cody Bellinger.
And if the Yankees' actions are any indication, they're not done adding to a roster that made the World Series for the first time since 2009.
That's likely music to Fried's—and Yankees fans'—ears.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Max Fried Explains Why He Signed With Yankees Over Other Teams.
