Red Sox
“I think it’s a good choice. Obviously I’m a little biased.”
Max Fried finished second in voting for the NL Cy Young Award in 2022. Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images
If the Red Sox want to play baseball in October 2025, there’s a good chance they’ll need to add at least one high-end pitcher to the roster this winter.
Boston has already established the framework for a regular starting rotation with Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Brayan Bello all expected to return. The return of free agent Lucas Giolito – who missed the entire 2024 season due to elbow surgery – is also a welcome development.
But Giolito is already doing what he can to help the 2025 Red Sox, with the 30-year-old right-hander admitting this week on the “Baseball Is’t Boring” podcast that he once made a pitch to his former high school teammate. , Max Fried.
“You think I haven’t already talked to him about it,” Giolito told WEEI’s Rob Bradford when asked about his potential pitch to Fried.
Fried, who played alongside Giolito at Harvard-Westlake High School in California, is poised to land a big contract in free agency. The 30-year-old southpaw went 11-10 with the Braves during the 2024 season, posting a 3.25 ERA in 174.1 innings of work.
The two-time All-Star had his best season with Atlanta in 2022, finishing second in NL Cy Young Award voting after going 14-7 with a 2.48 ERA.
“We played together in high school and we always said how cool it would be if we were on the same team in the major leagues — which were legit conversations we would have when we were 17,” Giolito told about Fried. “So, it’s the perfect time to make it a reality here.”
Whether it’s Fried’s age (he turns 31 in January) or his lighter workload (one season over 180 innings pitched), there could be reservations for teams looking to sign Fried for a long-term agreement.
But Giolito thinks a pitcher like Fried would be a solid addition to a Red Sox team that desperately needs more difference makers, especially on the mound.
“Obviously I think he would fit in really well,” Giolito said. “Obviously, I think the need is there. You look at the starting pitcher depth chart and you don’t see a lot of “LHP” and in my opinion he is the best, most consistent starting pitcher. So, I think it’s a good choice. Obviously, I’m a little biased.
“Here’s the deal. Max is going to have a lot of teams interested in him. Let’s be realistic,” Gioloto added. “There’s going to be a lot of money spent. How this plays out is going to be very interesting. Do I hope the Red Sox end up being the best fit and pick from different angles? Of course. But it will ultimately be up to him.
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