There’s a buzz in the baseball world, and it isn’t for all the right reasons.
As the sport continues to struggle with an ongoing lockout, which is the result of the players and the team owners disagreeing over (mostly monetary) values within the fabric of MLB, rumors have been running rampant over where MLB All-Star Freddie Freeman will land once the lockout is over.
Freeman, a 32-year-old first baseman for the Atlanta Braves, is coming off of arguably his best season, when he batted .300 with 31 home runs and 83 RBI, not to mention winning the 2021 World Series with the Braves. Now, he is a free agent, and the sports world is running amok over rumors regarding which team he may potentially sign with following the lockout (as players cannot be signed during the lockout).
Prior to the lockout, which began on December 2, 2021, Freeman was heavily favorited to re-sign with the Braves, but he rejected Atlanta’s 5-year, $135 million offer which was put forward before the lockout began. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale originally reported that the lefty first baseman was looking for a six-year deal worth around $200 million. This, put with Freeman’s love for Atlanta, makes it safe to assume that he rejected the Braves’ offer not due to wanting out with the team, but due to its “low” monetary value.
There's a growing belief Freddie Freeman won't re-sign with the Braves when free agency resumes. https://t.co/ZbU6a73qJ6 pic.twitter.com/cC1ZD100KN
— theScore (@theScore) February 22, 2022
It is undeniable that Freeman wants an Average Annual Value, or AAV, of at least $30 million a year, and that is the going rate for players of his caliber (the deal he rejected with Atlanta had an AAV of $27 million). However, his “old” age of 32, combined with the high price tag, makes some teams wary. Nonetheless, the market is there, and it is almost certain that a team will offer him what he wants: the question that’s running rampant is, which team will it be?
As of this point, there are a few teams that have been linked to Freeman, showing interest in the star player: the Dodgers, Mets, Yankees, and yes, even the Braves. ESPN’s Buster Olney, who recently appeared on the sports radio show The Michael Kay Show, cast doubt on Freeman’s return to the Braves and acknowledged that these teams checked in on him prior to the lockout.
“There’s a perception in the industry that Freddie Freeman is not going back to the Braves,” Olney said on the show. “Last summer, that was assumed, like ‘Yeah, eventually he’ll go back there.’ Now, they don’t believe that, and here’s an interesting thing. One of the teams that checked in on the Freddie Freeman availability before December 2 was the Mets.”
Buster Olney thinks Freddie Freeman is headed to the Dodgers https://t.co/4sADW3JWpZ
— Talkin’ Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 25, 2022
Olney went on to suggest where he predicted the All-Star was going to land. “I don’t think the Yankees get him, because we talked about it, [owner] Hal Steinbrenner [will] put the curb on the spending. Which is why I think if Freddie leaves the Braves, I think he most likely goes to the Dodgers, his home state, on a shorter-term, you know, 4 years, $130 million type deal.”
Ultimately, no person knows where Freeman will end up, most likely not even Freeman himself at this point. But Olney, a top MLB insider, sees him heading back to his home (Freeman was born in Orange, CA), taking a shorter deal with a higher AAV ($32.5 million). If Freeman does go this route, Braves fans would have a bone to pick as it’s viewed that the primary reason he rejected the Braves’ offer was that he wanted a longer-term deal. Now, if he goes on to sign a short-term deal with the Dodgers, it certainly would not be the best look for him nor his would-be former team.
Where do you think Freddie Freeman will sign? Let us know, by either leaving a reaction below or by sending us a tweet at @celebsecrets.
