Veteran left-handed pitcher Max Fried received a qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves on Monday, but is now ready to explore more lucrative opportunities as a free agent.

Fried, who has been a key part of the Braves’ pitching staff for several years, could be heading to a new team soon. Clubs potentially interested in his services include the Los Angeles Dodgers, but many inside baseball aren’t fully convinced they’ll pursue him.

Fried was seen having dinner with several Dodgers players in Los Angeles on Saturday night, sparking speculation about a possible move. His high school teammate was among the Dodgers in attendance Jack Flahertyfirst baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Miguel Rojas, reliever Daniel Hudson, second baseman Gavin Lux, right fielder Mookie Bettsand utility man Tommy Edman.

This meeting fueled the rumors, but even though Fried is a top free agent, many experts think the Dodgers may not be his ultimate destination. RJ Anderson of CBS Sports He mentioned the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants and New York Mets as more likely landing spots for the lefty.

“We’ve been wanting to print a full list of left-handed starting pitchers with a better ERA+ than Fried since the beginning of the 2020 season, but when we went to compile the names we ran into a problem. You see, no slugger pitchers with enough innings (at least 200 total) are on that metric.” in fact, he could not place himself in front of her,” Anderson wrote.

“Oh good. We attribute Fried’s continued excellence to his ability to manage communication. He ranked in the 95th percentile in average exit velocity last season, and he did so for the second year in a row while producing nearly 60 percent of the ground balls. The biggest knock on Fried’s future , as he has gone over the 180 threshold only once in his career, and given the direction the league has been in over the last decade, we don’t think it will hurt him.”

Fried has been a cornerstone of the Braves’ pitching staff since his debut in 2017. His presence was a key factor in the Braves’ six consecutive National League East titles from 2018 to 2023, as well as their seventh straight postseason appearance in 2023. He finished fifth in Cy Young voting in 2019 and second in 2022.

His sustained excellence has earned him two All-Star selections and a strong 2.80 ERA in 73 starts over the past three seasons. These accomplishments have solidified his status as one of the premier pitchers in free agency, and he’s sure to attract plenty of interest from teams looking to bolster their rotations.