Fried inked an eight-year, $218 million contract with New York, blowing away industry expectations. Boston came in at seven years and $190 million.

Arguably the best pitcher in the American League escaped that first-inning jam by inducing a pop-up to Santana, which essentially was the first and only Guardians chance against Fried in a 4-0, series-clinching Yankees victory in front of 41,665 in The Bronx on Thursday.

Fried's time with the Atlanta Braves helped prepare him for the big lights of the Bronx and the expectations attached