The Atlanta Braves have a ton of star pitchers coming back in 2025, but they might be missing the longest-tenured star of them all.

Of course, having Chris Sale, Reynaldo López, Spencer Schwellenbach, and eventually, Spencer Strider makes for a pretty solid foundation. But two-time All-Star Max Fried is a free agent, and the Braves don't seem all that inclined to pay him top dollar to return.

Fried has long been a fan-favorite in Atlanta, a calming presence when he takes the mound and a part of the team's winning culture for nearly a decade. But money talks, and if the Braves don't pony up, he could be headed elsewhere.

Unfortunately, the place Braves fans least want him to go is likely the most logical place to wind up. Fried grew up in Southern California, which means he grew up dreaming of pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers. That could become reality this winter.

Recently, Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball predicted that Fried would wind up in Los Angeles on a monstrous seven-year, $190 million contract.

"Whoever lands Fried is getting a pitcher who has a 3.07 career ERA, who has eclipsed 165 innings pitched four times in the last five full seasons since 2019. If the Braves were going to keep Fried, it feels like they would have signed him to an extension by now," Finkelstein said.

"Assuming he does walk, going to the best team in baseball would be a great landing spot for Fried, who should get at least six years and could exceed $30 million per year in free agency."

Fried has been Major League Baseball's most consistent lefty for the last half-decade, posting a 73-36 career record with the Braves, a 3.07 ERA, and tossing six complete games, including four shutouts.

The Dodgers have lots of talented pitchers returning from injury, but Fried would be one heck of an insurance policy. And if they were to offer Fried the deal Finkelstein projects, it's hard to imagine the Braves matching it.