NEW YORK -- When the Yankees added Max Fried last winter, signing him to the largest contract ever issued to a left-handed pitcher , they believed they were buying more than a front-line starter. They were getting a craftsman, the kind of pitcher who takes as much pride in his defense as his curve, cutter and sinker.

That reputation held true in the Bronx, where Fried’s stellar fielding earned him a 2025 American League Gold Glove Award , the fourth of his career and his first with the Yankees. Fried joined an exclusive fraternity of pinstriped pitchers to claim the hardware, following Ron Guidry (1982-86), Mike Mussina (2001, ’03, ’08) and Bobby Shantz (1957-60).

It was a standout season overall for Fried, 31, who stood tall as the Bombers’ ace by leading the Major Leagues with 19

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