Brian Cashman joined Suzyn Waldman on WFAN immediately following Max Fried’s introductory press conference, and he raved about his new lefty’s makeup and ability, which led to the Yankees moving him to the top of their free agent wish list.
“He’s left handed, the track record - our guys have watched him over the course of time - he has a five-pitch mix...he keeps adding pitches, keeps tinkering, keeps learning from others and evolving,” Cashman said. “He’s evolved into one of the game’s better starters.
“He’s kind of reserved, but on the mound, he’s different. He’s got real competitive juices...he empties the tank, and in between, he’s just as regular guy.”
Fried certainly expressed a calm demeanor in his press conference, and Cashman loved to see that mindset and the contrast of the killer instinct he sees from him on the mound, which he believes will play in New York. He felt even better about it after the agreement was in place, and he heard that rival teams were equally invested in trying to acquire a pitcher who the Yanks eventually paid more than any team has ever paid a southpaw.
“All of our recon was that this is a really good human being, really talented pitcher, and not afraid of the big stage...we went all in on this,” Cashman said. “It’s a big contract. I felt comfortable knowing who else was in on this...me being able to verify with the opposing teams and where they were at...I felt comfortable that we weren’t on an island, and some of the other teams we were competing against were on him.”