Here are some observations and notes from the Yankees’ spring training action Thursday in Tampa…
Max Fried fine to still be fine-tuning
Fried, the Yankees’ most crucial starter entering the season, struggled in his final start before taking the mound for the regular season opener against the Giants next week. The lefty allowed three runs on five hits and walked four, but seemed earnestly grateful for the chance to stumble before the games count.
“Definitely not sharp, but also the perfect amount of being able to make that adjustment,” said Fried, who said he valued the chance to work on some different sequencing and pitch with runners on base against a Baltimore Orioles lineup that looked similar to what it will be during the regular season.
“I would rather, in this situation, have a little bit more traffic on the bases, taking the chances,” Fried said. “Something maybe I would not do during the regular season to push those boundaries and get feedback in a not completely results-based game.”
Carlos Lagrange sent down
Aaron Boone announced after the game that the Yankees reassigned the young right-hander to minor league camp. A month ago, that announcement would have felt like mere formality: At 22 years old, with 16 Double-A appearances to his name, Lagrange did not begin this spring as a candidate to break camp with a team that views itself as a World Series contender.
But after four impressive Grapefruit League outings in which he combined his 100-plus mph fastball with more consistent strike-throwing and in-zone command of his change-up and slider, Lagrange pitched his way into the Yankees’ plans for 2026.
“He made it a difficult decision, which coming into this wouldn’t have even thought there was a decision,” Boone said. “He definitely caught everyone’s attention. I wouldn’t be surprised if he is impacting us early, middle, later part of the season. I don’t know. But I can just tell you we’re all very excited about his continued development and what he could mean to our team at some point.”
All spring, the Yankees handled Lagrange like a starter. He has a varied enough arsenal to stick as a starter in the majors, as long as he commands his secondary pitches like he did this spring. At the moment, the Yankees have major league starting pitching depth with reinforcements on the way. But Lagrange has pushed his way into their plans once already, and there are only so many 102 mph fastballs to be found.
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