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NEW YORK — In December 2024, the Yankees signed Max Fried to an eight-year, $218 million contract — the second-largest pitcher deal in team history. The plan was to pair him with Gerrit Cole, the highest-paid pitcher ($324 million) in Yankees history and a Cy Young winner.
On Wednesday, the plan finally came to fruition.
Cole and Fried had not been on the Yankees’ active roster at the same time despite their year and a half as teammates. After 2025 spring training, Cole was placed on the injured list and underwent Tommy John surgery, not appearing in a single game that season. Then, in May of this season, Fried landed on the injured list with a left elbow bone bruise just a week before Cole’s return.
On Wednesday, their paths finally crossed. Cole tossed seven innings, striking out 11 and allowing three earned runs in the Yankees’ 5-3 10th-inning loss to the Pirates in Game 1 of a doubleheader. Fried struck out seven in five scoreless innings in Game 2, a 2-0 win.
For the two aces, it was a day 18 months in the making.
“We were so excited when we signed him,” Cole said. “He’s worked really hard on his rehab, and he’s in a good spot, so that’s nice that it’s finally come to fruition for sure. A bit too long for both of our tastes.”
“Better late than never,” Fried said.
Fried was scheduled to throw a rehab start at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre on Wednesday. But the postponement of Tuesday’s Yankees game created an opportunity for manager Aaron Boone to have Fried ramp up in the majors instead.
“I walked in, and just kind of jokingly said, ‘Are you guys figuring out who’s pitching the doubleheader tomorrow?’ Thinking they were going to choose which game it was going to be between Will [Warren] and Gerrit,” Fried said. “Then they kind of gave me a look of like, ‘Would you be on?’ I was like, oh wait, we’re serious. I was like, yeah. I’m gonna be pitching anyway. As soon as they said that, I said, yeah, you guys make the decision. But if you want me to pitch, I’m ready.”
Fried threw just 57 pitches in his start as he builds up his pitch count. His fastball averaged 96.2 MPH, well above his season average of 93.8 MPH heading into Wednesday’s start. Fried attributed it to the excitement of pitching on a major league mound for the first time in two months.
“Definitely a lot of adrenaline,” said Fried, who allowed one hit and one walk. “This is my favorite thing to do. So being out for the last couple months, it’s really tough. But coming out, giving us a chance to win, and getting back out there and feeling the energy, it felt normal, and I’m happy about that.”
In his 11th start back from injury, Cole’s seven innings and 11 strikeouts were season highs in both categories. It was the third straight start in which he had pitched into the seventh inning. Cole gave up two home runs, making it the seventh time in nine starts that he’s given up at least one home run. Boone said it is part of returning to full strength.
“He’s a great pitcher and gamesman,” Boone said. “I think he’s now just more settled, there’s things to work on, obviously, each time, and he’s able to apply those things. But I think stuff-wise, you’re going to have your ups and downs of having your best stuff, but I think he’s in a really good place, and I just think benefiting from now pitching every fifth and sixth day and getting back his competitive sea legs.”
Fried rejoined a rotation with the fifth-lowest ERA (3.60) in MLB this season. Veterans Cole and Fried are arguably the No. 2 and No. 3 starters for the remainder of the season, with Cam Schlitter as a front-runner for the American League Cy Young Award.
With three All-Stars at the top of the rotation and Carlos Rodon (3.30 ERA) expected back before the end of the regular season, the Yankees have an advantage that few other contending teams can match.
“Exciting to have them back,” Boone said. “Now we just got to obviously build them up, and hopefully in the final couple months of the regular season that rotation can continue to be a real strength for us.”
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