BREAKING: A prominent free-agent pitcher was seen dining with Los Angeles Dodgers stars in LA, sparking rumors about a possible signing with the team this offseason.

Max Fried received a qualifying offer from the Atlanta Braves on Monday, but the experienced left-handed pitcher is now poised to pursue more lucrative opportunities in free agency. This could potentially include interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Fried was seen dining with several Dodgers players on Saturday night in Los Angeles, including his former high school teammate Jack Flaherty, first baseman Freddie Freeman, shortstop Miguel Rojas, reliever Daniel Hudson, second baseman Gavin Lux, right fielder Mookie Betts, and utility player Tommy Edman.

Considered one of the top free agents by numerous baseball analysts, many do not believe the Dodgers will actively pursue Fried. R.J. Anderson from CBS Sports suggests that teams like the San Diego Padres, San Francisco Giants, and New York Mets are more likely destinations for him.

Anderson noted that compiling a list of left-handed starters with a better ERA+ than Fried since 2020 was challenging, as no other pitcher with sufficient innings surpassed him in that category.

He attributes Fried’s success to his exceptional contact management, as he ranked in the 95th percentile for average exit velocity last season while generating nearly 60% ground balls for the second consecutive year. The main concern regarding Fried is his innings pitched; he has only surpassed 180 innings once in his career. However, this trend may not significantly impact his market value given recent league trends.

Fried has been a key figure in the Braves’ successful rebuild, contributing to their six consecutive National League East titles from 2018 to 2023 and another postseason appearance last year. He debuted with Atlanta in August 2017 and achieved a career-high of 17 wins in 2019.

Over the years, Fried has established himself as one of baseball’s elite pitchers, finishing fifth in Cy Young voting in 2020 and second in 2022. As a two-time All-Star, he has maintained a strong 2.80 ERA across 73 starts over the past three seasons, solidifying his status as a top contender in the free-agent market.