“Prepare, compete, and win” - Max Fried explains the three words inside the Yankees clubhouse that struck a chord for him

One of the biggest moves of the offseason so far has been Max Fried agreeing to an eight-year, $218 million deal with the New York Yankees.

The two-time All-Star's signing came in the wake of the Yankees missing out on re-signing Juan Soto in free agency. However, the veteran southpaw is a massive addition to a New York squad looking to return to the World Series in 2025.

The 30-year-old will now form one of the strongest pitching rotations in baseball alongside Gerrit Cole, Carlos Rodon and Luis Gil. Now, with Max Fried officially a member of the New York Yankees, the club will look to use their elite pitching to help them secure their first title since 2009.

For Fried, the Yankees provided him with a chance to win the second World Series of his career, something that struck him as soon as he walked in the team's clubhouse.

"I was walking through the clubhouse and there were three words that were put up on the wall. That's prepare, compete, and win. I thought a lot about that, and to me as a competitor, as a player, it really resonated with me," Fried explained during his introductory press conference.

Fried is coming off another strong season with the Atlanta Braves, posting an 11-10 record with a 3.25 ERA with 166 strikeouts over 174.1 innings of work. Despite spending his entire career with the Braves up to this point, the former first-round draft pick expressed his excitement about opening this new chapter with the Yankees.

"Before I take the ball, I'm going to prepare the best as I possibly I can. When I get out there and compete to the best of my abilities, and at the end of the day, the one thing that we're out here to do is to win. For me, I couldn't be more excited to be part of the Yankees and be part of this organization," Max Fried continued.

Max Fried said that he was surprised that the Yankees were interested in his services

Even though Fried was one of the most sought-after starting pitchers on the open market, the three-time Gold Glove Award winner was not prepared for the New York Yankees to be in the running.

During his introductory press conference on Wednesday, Fried shared how he felt when he found out about the Bronx Bombers' interest in him.

“When the Yankees say they’re interested in you, you perk up and you listen, there’s a standard and it’s an extremely storied franchise. I was excited to hop on a call and be able to talk with the group up here," Fried said.

Max Fried has been elite throughout his entire MLB career. Over his eight seasons in the Majors, he has compiled a career 3.07 ERA, 863 strikeouts and a 1.164 WHIP.

Although he will soon see the pressure that comes with playing in New York, if he succeeds, he will quickly find out how it feels to win for baseball's most iconic franchise.