Standing by his locker at George M. Steinbrenner Field, Gerrit Cole resisted the terminology that has been used to describe the Yankees’ offseason.
The Bombers quickly changed course after losing Juan Soto to the Mets in December, striking a record-setting deal with longtime Braves starter Max Fried two days later. Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger and Paul Goldschmidt followed, but Fried’s eight-year, $218 million contract officially set the Yankees’ so-called “Plan B” in motion.
“What if you had two Plan As?” Cole playfully countered when the diminishing descriptor was applied to Fried. “I just don’t want to say he’s a Plan B. That’s my guy.”
Cole eventually settled on “decisive pivot,” one that has given him more than just a sidekick atop the Yankees’ rotation. With spring training now a few weeks old, it’s clear the cerebral starters will be sounding boards for one another, as well as their teammates, after initially connecting via text and phone call over the winter.
“You’re talking about one of the best pitchers that we’ve had for over the last 10 or so years,” Fried said. “He’s got a Cy Young, and he seems to be in that conversation of best pitchers in the world year in and year out. He knows exactly what he needs to do to be successful, and he’s extremely knowledgeable and talented. So to be able to just sit and watch him work and his routine and the way he goes about his preparation and everything, I’m going to soak in as much as I can.
“At the end of the day, we’re here to win, and anything that I can learn from him that I can add to my game, I’m all ears.”
Last one: Gerrit Cole shares some knowledge with Max Fried, CC Sabathia, Andy Pettitte, Ron Guidry and Mike Harkey. Quite the group. #Yankees pic.twitter.com/aLvrPgAwM4
— Gary Phillips (@GaryHPhillips) February 17, 2025
Cole, slated to make his spring debut on Friday, called Fried “an extremely smart and intellectual guy.” Fried made a similar first impression on Aaron Boone, Matt Blake and the Yankees’ front office over the offseason, exciting them with his inquisitive nature during a free agency Zoom call.
Fried’s curiosity hasn’t relented since.
“He’s been a sponge,” Boone said. “He’s been really open to everything our pitching guys have thrown at him. Getting down here, you can tell he’s made a real investment in getting to know his teammates and the people in the building and coaches and staff and people that are going to be helpful to him. To me, his transition seems very seamless so far.”
As Cole has gotten to know Fried, he’s taken note of the newcomer’s faith in his attack plan, reads and an expansive arsenal that includes seven pitches.
Fried’s nasty curveball has repeatedly turned heads — and buckled knees — at Yankees camp, but Cole has encouraged him to trust his fastball as well.
At 6-4, 190 pounds, the left-handed, 31-year-old Fried is far from a carbon copy of the 6-4, 220-pound, right-handed, 34-year-old Cole. This he knows.
“It’s definitely a different game than [mine],” said the slender Fried, who relies on groundballs and soft contact. “He’s that prototypical power pitcher. He’s got a big fastball, big swing and miss. He’s struck out over 300 guys in a season. That’s impressive, and he’s an extremely imposing, competitive guy on the mound. So as far as overlapping stuff, to that extent, we might be a little different.”
While their game’s may not be identical, Fried made it known that he and Cole share the same mindset: take the ball and win.
The two began developing that attitude growing up in the Los Angeles area, though Cole and Fried only knew each other in passing thanks to various All-Star appearances prior to becoming teammates.
While Cole pitched for the Pirates and Astros before wearing pinstripes, Fried has spent the majority of his professional career in Atlanta’s organization after initially being drafted by the Padres. Fried’s Braves background is of interest to Cole, as he admires some of the franchise’s greatest pitchers.
“Max is coming from an organization that obviously has deep roots in pitching, going back to the days that inspired my generation on how to throw with Greg Maddux and John Smoltz and Tom Glavin,” Cole said. “I think they really stick to some of those old school, core principles, and they’ve obviously ingrained a lot of those things in Max. So his perspective from a storied franchise and a franchise that is obviously well-renowned for pitching provides a lot of opportunity for me and my teammates to learn from Max.”
Despite never being teammates before, little has been lost in translation between Cole and Fried in the early days of their pairing.
Different teams use different verbiage to describe the same things, but Cole hasn’t had any terminology issues when it comes to his conversations with Fried. The ace is hoping that he, along with the rest of his peers, will benefit from that as the Yankees pursue a return to the World Series.
“It’s good that we speak the same language in a lot of regards,” Cole said. “It just anchors it for some of these younger guys that are learning. It brings good continuity to the group. If we’re going to run through a team four times in a row, we want to make sure we have a high level of communication in terms of what we’re seeing so we can progress through the series.
“That’s highly effective in a postseason series.”