The New York Yankees weren’t Max Fried’s first stop on the free-agency carousel. But after the Juan Soto deal slipped away, the team pivoted quickly, and Fried became Brian Cashman’s top priority. Turns out, the feeling became mutual soon; when speaking at his introductory press conference with the Yankees, Fried admitted that the New York Yankees’ interest in him surprised him. “Initially, I’d heard that the Yankees had interest, and I’d say I was fairly surprised,” Fried said.

But he sat up and took notice of the situation: “When the Yankees say they’re interested in you, you perk up and you listen. There’s a standard here, and it’s such a storied franchise.” Then, Max Fried got into a Zoom call with the team’s leadership, where he saw a familiar face—Omar Minaya, the senior advisor for the Yankees who was with the Padres when Fried was drafted there in 2012. But that virtual call wasn’t what helped seal the deal—Fried walked through the Yankee clubhouse, and that’s what convinced him.

The true reason Max Fried signed with the Yankees

As Max Fried walked through the Yankee clubhouse, he saw three simple words on the wall—Prepare, Compete, Win; and that lit a bulb in him. During a recent press conference, he shared, “There are three words that were put up on the wall—Prepare, Compete, and Win. To me, as a competitor, as a player, it really resonated with me.” But it wasn’t only words that stood out to him.

The New York Yankees are relentlessly trying to win, and that helped seal the deal for Fried. For him, winning is a big priority; he knew that the Yankees, when they came for spring training, had one goal: to win the World Series. “It’s not to get to the playoffs; it’s not to do anything besides hold up the trophy at the end of the year,” said Max Fried. Now, he is no stranger to competing at the highest levels; Fried was at seven postseason runs and a World Series title with Atlanta. Now, he has eight years with the Yankees, where he hopes to only move ahead.

So far, the Yankees have only just grown and shown him how, after Juan Soto leaving, the team is getting other stellar players in the franchise—they got reliever Devin Williams and even former NL MVP Cody Bellinger.

Cashman reveals a secret advantage with Bellinger trade

Cody Bellinger, the second-generation Yankee, might not be the perfect one-for-one replacement for Juan Soto, but he has an advantage. The Yankees have a sneaky ace up their sleeve that could make Bellinger’s transition to the team smoother—the Yankee Stadium’s famous short porch in right field is just 314 feet from home plate—perfect for lefty power hitters like Bellinger. But then comes the twist: Bellinger will get to enjoy that advantage away from home games too.

Thanks to the curveball that most didn’t see coming, the Tampa Bay Rays will be playing their home games at George M. Steinbrenner Field, the Yankee’s spring training home. This means Bellinger will get six extra games in a place that’s extremely hitter-friendly too, with 87 games in total to show his true potential. Brian Cashman is always the strategist, and he pointed this scenario out when recently talking to the media.

Cashman also highlighted how much of a boost this move could be. The Yankees might have lost Juan Soto, but they seem to be aggressively moving ahead and creating a well-rounded team—do you agree? Share your take below.