Yankees Eye Rival Starter in Free Agency Reunion With Old Friend
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Jon Heyman of the New York Post has reported that the New York Yankees “like” free agent right-hander Lucas Giolito, a 31-year-old veteran who spent last season with the Boston Red Sox. While Giolito may not headline this winter’s pitching class, his connection to new Yankees ace Max Fried makes the interest especially intriguing. The two aren’t just peers—they’re old friends who anchored one of the most legendary high school rotations in baseball history.
Harvard-Westlake Reunion in the Bronx?
Giolito and Fried’s friendship dates back more than a decade, to their days at Harvard-Westlake School in Studio City, California, where they shared a rotation alongside Detroit Tigers‘ starter Jack Flaherty. Under the guidance of coach Ethan Katz—who would later become an MLB pitching coach—the trio developed into elite arms, bonding through competition, adversity, and mutual respect.
“There is a special bond,” Katz told The Athletic in 2020. “Everywhere I coach, everyone asks me questions about them.”
That bond never faded. Giolito even attended Katz’s wedding, and Fried has long credited Katz for “opening my eyes to preparation and what it takes” to succeed as a professional pitcher. Both players endured Tommy John surgery early in their careers, leaned on each other through their recovery years, and eventually fulfilled the promise they showed as teenagers—Fried becoming a Cy Young winner, and Giolito throwing a no-hitter for the White Sox in 2020.
Now, more than ten years later, a reunion in pinstripes could bring their journey full circle.
According to Heyman, the Yankees are monitoring Giolito’s market closely after Boston declined to extend him a $22 million qualifying offer. That decision means New York wouldn’t need to forfeit draft-pick compensation to sign him—an important factor for a team already balancing luxury-tax considerations after adding Fried.
Giolito’s Market and the Yankees’ Rotation Needs
Giolito posted a 3.41 ERA with 121 strikeouts in 145 innings for Boston in 2025, stabilizing a middle-of-the-rotation that desperately needed consistency. His underlying numbers—including a 4.17 FIP and 1.18 WHIP—suggest he’s more of a reliable No. 3 or No. 4 starter than a frontline ace. But his mix of durability, competitiveness, and command fits perfectly with what the Yankees need behind Fried, Carlos Rodón, and Luis Gil.
The right-hander’s arsenal remains largely intact from his White Sox days: a four-seam fastball he throws nearly 50% of the time, a fading changeup, and a biting slider. Though the fastball has lost a tick of velocity since his 2024 elbow surgery, his vertical movement and sequencing continue to generate weak contact.
For the Yankees, Giolito represents a rare blend of affordability and familiarity. Spotrac projects his market value at roughly three years, $61 million, while MLB Trade Rumors predicts a shorter two-year, $32 million deal. Either price could be reasonable for a franchise seeking a mid-rotation stabilizer who already shares chemistry with their new ace.
Signing Giolito wouldn’t just make baseball sense—it would make narrative sense. Reuniting with Fried would rekindle one of the sport’s most remarkable prep baseball stories, one that began on the sun-soaked fields of Southern California and could now continue under the lights of Yankee Stadium.
After years of facing each other from opposite dugouts, Fried and Giolito could finally share the same mound again—only this time, chasing a World Series title together.
Legendary Coach Marv Levy, Now 100 Years Old, Sends a Powerful Message to the Bills: Fire Sean McDermott and Bring Back Josh Allen’s True Mentor – The Bills’ Response
When a legend like Marv Levy — the man who once led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowl appearances — speaks at the age of 100, every word carries the weight of history. The morning after the Bills’ crushing 13–30 loss to the Miami Dolphins, Levy, now living quietly in Chicago, sent a message that shook the entire Bills Mafia: a warning to the franchise he once built into greatness.
According to sources close to the Hall of Famer, Levy watched the game in full and was visibly disappointed with head coach Sean McDermott’s decisions. He was particularly concerned about Josh Allen, who appeared both physically worn down and mentally drained, yet was still forced to play all four quarters. The decision not to send Allen for medical evaluation and to keep him on the field, Levy reportedly said, was “unforgivable” — a sign that the coaching staff had lost perspective.
In a short audio message that quickly went viral, Marv Levy spoke with striking clarity and emotion: “I’ve seen generations of players and coaches come and go in Buffalo, but I’ve never seen a great team wasted like this. When a leader is no longer wise enough to protect his star, it’s time for change. Josh Allen deserves a mentor who truly understands him. Continuing like this will only waste his talent.”
Levy’s words spread like wildfire, reigniting a wave of calls from fans demanding that McDermott be fired and Brian Daboll brought back — the very coach who helped shape Josh Allen into one of the NFL’s premier quarterbacks. In a twist of fate, Daboll was fired by the New York Giants just hours after the Bills’ defeat, making the prospect of a reunion seem almost destined.
The Bills organization has remained silent, releasing only a brief statement affirming their “commitment to the current direction.” But for countless fans across Buffalo, Levy’s message spoke louder than any press release — a reminder that if the Bills fail to act now, they risk losing not only their season, but the brilliance of the quarterback who defines their era.
