Yankees news: Max Fried joins Yanks in first move for Juan Soto

Yahoo! Sports | Kari Anderson: As you know, the Yankees signed left-hander Max Fried to an eight-year, $212 million contract. It’s the biggest guarantee ever for a left-handed hitter and represents the first turning point after the loss to Juan Soto. We’ve prepared plenty of coverage on Fried for the site, so check it out and let us know if you like the move pleases! For the late night crowd, this is Jeremy for our first full reaction.

FanGraphs | Dan Szymborski: Dan gives us some early insight into what we can expect from Fried, who hasn’t exactly been an innings hog over the last three years but can suppress runs as well as he can. ZiPS isn’t entirely kind to Fried’s prospects, pegging him as average with some flashes above that, but Matt Blake has taken on worse pitchers than this before. The big question is the health of the left forearm – if Fried is on the field, he should be a strong addition.

MLB.com | Bryan Hoch: To say the Yankees were hit by the Juan Soto news would be an understatement, but the world keeps turning. This is an incomplete roster, bolstered by what you know, to replace the six to eight wins Soto would have had. The good news is that it’s still early enough in the off-season that there are plenty of options. The bad news is that none of these options can give people the kind of cravings that Soto does. Losing him sucks, I have to move on (hence Fried).

New York Post | Matt Ehalt: Entering his contract year, it doesn’t look like Kyle Tucker and the Houston Astros will agree to an extension. The Astros now face the decision of trading away a star or risk losing him for nothing in free agency. Should they trade, the Yankees would be at the top of the list of potential suitors, although recent history between the two organizations could be considered frosty at best. It doesn’t sound like Tucker is moving since Houston plans to compete in 2025, but those tires better be thrown out. He is very Good.

MLB Trade Rumors | Leo Morgenstein: A happy road to former star Yankees prospect Estevan Florial, who has signed a contract with the Hanwha Eagles of the KBO. He turned out to be more of a Quad-A player, appearing in just 48 games in four seasons for the Yankees before being traded to Cleveland last December. Good luck in Korea, Estevan.

MLB.com | Chris Haft: We end on a sad note as nine-time All-Star Rocky Colavito has passed away at the age of 91. Colavito, a Bronx native with a gun arm, signed with Cleveland and made a name for himself there en route to major success. In his 14-year career from 1955 to 1968, the outfielder hit .266/.359/.489 with an outstanding 374 home runs and a 132 WRC+. He also joined Yankees legend Lou Gehrig in becoming one of only 18 players in MLB history to throw four bombs in a game and score the game-winning hit on June 10, 1959. The last five home runs of his career came in pinstripes when Colavito returned home to New York to play in 39 games in late 1968. He also became a bit of a trivia answer as he was the last Yankees position player to win a game on the mound. Rest in peace, Rocky.