Many people in the baseball world expected the Atlanta Braves to prioritize signing their longtime franchise superstar, Freddie Freeman, this offseason. After all, he has been the face of the organization for multiple seasons and helped lead Atlanta to a World Series championship in 2021. But the Braves recently traded for Matt Olson which likely rules out a return to Atlanta for Freeman. However, Freeman nor his agent were reportedly aware that the Olson deal was even happening, according to Joel Sherman on Twitter.
If this is true, that would be an extremely bad look for the Braves. Freeman entered the big leagues in 2010 with Atlanta and has been with the team ever since. He has made five all-star teams in addition to earning the MVP award during the 2020 campaign. The big, left-handed first baseman is also a fan favorite in Atlanta. He has a reputation for being one of the nicest people in the game and is the favorite player for many Braves fans. So the fact that the Braves basically ended any chance of him re-signing with the team and failed to even tell him what was occurring is quite surprising.
Freeman is expected to receive a large deal on the free agent market after hitting .300 while clubbing 31 home runs in 2021. The Dodgers and Yankees are the most likely landing destinations for his services, but the Rays were reportedly interested earlier in the off-season as well. Nonetheless, there is no question that he will land a sizable contract. But unless the Braves choose to take on two left-handed hitting first baseman, the Freeman era in Atlanta will come to a conclusion in 2022.
Follow Us
Subscribe