A new report opens the door for the Atlanta Braves to reunite with one of their homegrown stars in an unlikely blockbuster trade, if they are willing to pay the price.

After a 2025 season that ended in their first playoff miss in eight years, the Braves were motivated for a big bounceback this year, and they had the pieces to do it. Despite dealing with key injuries early in the season and a disappointing year from top star Ronald Acuna Jr., Atlanta was back in the postseason this fall after winning the National League East for the seventh time in the last decade.

Yet, when they came face-to-face with the defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the Divisional Round, they were folded up and sent home for the year in just four games. Despite the disappointment, they still had one of the best records in baseball and were not far off from being a serious title contender.

If they want to be in the Fall Classic in 2027, they could use another high-impact talent in the starting rotation alongside 2026 Cy Young candidate Chris Sale. Well, they could get that in a reunion with a former All-Star.

Could an Atlanta Braves reunion with Max Fried happen this offseason?

According to ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel, “the Yankees are thinking about” taking a run at signing two-time Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal in free agency this month. The MLB insider then added that if New York were to land the ace pitcher, they would follow up by “trading from their pitching stockpile.”

The Yankees could certainly look at trading players like Luis Gil, Clarke Schmidt, or Will Warren. However, with a salary cap, or something close to it, expected to arrive in the next collective bargaining agreement, they will need to offload salary if they were to give Skubal a contract worth around $400 million.

Moving the six years and $189 million still owed to Fried would go a long way in helping balance their payroll. The Braves would have liked to keep the three-time All-Star, but the price was just too high. However, if the Yankees are willing to pick up around $8 million of the $31.5 million he makes annually until 2032, it would make his contract far more reasonable.

The former Atlanta prospect has been very good the last two seasons and would be a strong No. 2 behind Sale, and give them an ace option if the 37-year-old called it a career soon. The Braves have a solid minor league system and could certainly offer some talent the Yankees would be interested in.

A lot has to happen before this is a real possibility. However, if the Yankees are in on Skubal, Braves fans could benefit if New York wins the sweepstakes.