The Athletics have been aggressive in pursuing upgrades to the starting rotation this offseason, but maybe not as aggressive as some believed they were.
After signing veteran right-handed pitcher Luis Severino to a franchise-record three-year, $67 million contract last week, USA Today's Bob Nightengale surprisingly reported on Wednesday that the Athletics were one of the "most aggressive" teams pursuing free-agent left-handed pitcher Max Fried before he agreed to a reported eight-year, $218 million contract with the New York Yankees on Tuesday, USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported Wednesday.
Believe or not, one of the most aggressive teams in the Max Fried sweepstakes were the Athletics before he signed his 8-year, $218 million deal with the Yankees.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 11, 2024
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However, Athletics general manager David Forst, in speaking to reporters at the MLB Winter Meetings in Dallas, refuted Nightengale's report.
GM David Forst said the reports of A’s aggressively pursuing Max Fried were untrue.
— Martín Gallegos (@MartinJGallegos) December 11, 2024
While the Athletics might have checked in on Fried at one point, it appears they were not serious suitors for the star pitcher, who, had he signed with the Athletics, likely would have blown Severino's current franchise record-breaking deal out of the water.
The Athletics notoriously are not a team that often pursues the very top free agents on the market, which is why Nightengale's report caught so many by surprise.
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However, it was much ado about nothing.