By Loveth 
The Yankees’ big offseason moves have been a mixed bag so far. Cody Bellinger and Devin Williams? Eh, not great. But Max Fried and Paul Goldschmidt? Absolute game-changers.
Let’s talk Fried. People were skeptical when the Yankees handed him an 8-year, $218 million deal—lots of money, lots of years. But right now? He’s been worth every cent. Fried is 4-0 with a 1.42 ERA, and the Yankees haven’t lost a game he’s started. With Gerrit Cole out for the season, Fried is basically carrying the rotation.
Now compare that to what could’ve been—Blake Snell. The Yankees tried to sign him twice but couldn’t make it work. First, they offered $150 million. Snell said no. Then they had to wait to figure out the Juan Soto deal, and by the time they circled back, Snell had already signed with the Dodgers for $182 million.
Well, fast forward to now and… yikes. Snell’s made just two starts, has a -0.2 WAR, and is already shut down with shoulder inflammation. He may need more tests, and things aren’t looking great.
So yeah, Cashman’s decision to hold off on Snell and go all-in on Fried? That’s aging really well. Sure, Fried’s got his own injury history, but at least he’s on the field dominating. If Snell had signed with the Yankees and then flamed out a few weeks into the season? Fans would be losing it.
And let’s be real—if you had to choose: Fried for 8 years at $218M or Snell for 6 years at $214M (plus his one-year stint in San Fran), who are you taking? Right now, it’s a no-brainer.
Yes, Snell has the better overall résumé, but Fried has been more consistent in terms of starts, has more postseason experience, and even a World Series ring.
Looks like Cashman might’ve actually played this one right. Time to give the guy a little credit—even if it feels weird to say.