Two notable MLB free agents have now been removed from the chopping block.
All-Star and World Series champion third baseman Kris Bryant is now off the board, penning a 7-year, $182 million deal with the Colorado Rockies. Bryant, who won the World Series with the Cubs in 2016, and played in San Francisco with the Giants in 2021, will now finish his career in Colorado as his contract includes a no-trade clause.
Colorado is a bold choice, as the competitive status of the team is currently unknown. While it was initially presumed the team was entering a rebuild, since their previous All-Star third baseman Nolan Arenado was mysteriously traded to the St. Louis Cardinals, and their current star shortstop Trevor Story is currently on the chopping block, the Rockies appear to be making moves that would signify that they are willing to compete, and the signing of Bryant appears to be one of them.
Kris Bryant gets a bag from a team that everyone thought was rebuilding pic.twitter.com/naoW5WThc7
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) March 16, 2022
Meanwhile, coveted first baseman Freddie Freeman has finally been signed, and by none other than the Los Angeles Dodgers. He penned a massive 6-year, $162 million deal, which comes out to an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $27 million – Bryant’s AAV, meanwhile, is a very similar $26 million.
Breaking: Freddie Freeman and the Dodgers have agreed to terms on a six-year, $162 million deal, according to @kileymcd and @JeffPassan. pic.twitter.com/IQQ13JdsGY
— ESPN (@espn) March 17, 2022
The Dodgers, who currently have the second-highest payroll in baseball behind the New York Mets, were the favorites to sign Freeman after the Braves let him walk. The Braves, notably, refused to give him the sixth year, and it is assumed that Freeman took a “home-town discount” to play with the Dodgers, as he is a SoCal native. Other teams including the Rays and Red Sox also offered him deals, but to no avail.
With these free agents off of the board, it leaves a few other notable players still not signed, including shortstop Carlos Correa and the aforementioned shortstop Trevor Story. It is expected that those players will sign to a team soon, as Spring Training gets underway.
What do you think of the Bryant and Freeman signings? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
