Part 2/8:
The Yankees' decision to pursue Fried can be seen as a knee-jerk reaction following the Mets' move to acquire superstar Juan Soto. Within hours, Yankees management seemed to huddle in panic, considering how their storied franchise might be losing its hold on New York City — and perhaps on Major League Baseball as a whole. In response to emerging fears of a Mets takeover in the baseball landscape, they opted to allocate significant resources to secure Fried, the second-best pitcher available in free agency.