So you’re saying there’s a chance?
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal wrote a column Monday about the future of free-agent first baseman Freddie Freeman.
The 2020 National League MVP will be a popular person following the MLB lockout. And while the Atlanta Braves are the best bet to sign the slugger, Rosenthal explains why the New York Yankees (and others) remain in the mix.
By protracting negotiations with a player who has openly spoken of his desire to return — and not necessarily for top dollar — the Atlanta ownership has played a dangerous game, one that might now backfire. ... The Dodgers would represent something of a homecoming for him. ... The Blue Jays, even with Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first, also are thought to be a possibility for Freeman, whose parents were born in Canada. And the Yankees might also get involved, if they actually believed Freeman would leave the Braves. At this point, why wouldn’t he? Any team that puts a full-court press on Freeman is likely to intrigue him, especially when the Braves seemingly have laid back in a passive zone.
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The 32-year-old Freeman has spent his entire 12-year MLB career in Atlanta, helping the Braves win the World Series in 2021. According to Rosenthal, the five-time All-Star “would not be as comfortable in New York, or even Los Angeles or Toronto, as he would be in Atlanta. But the Braves, at the very least, are forcing him to entertain other possibilities.”
Freeman, a lifetime .295 hitter, has won three Silver Slugger Awards and picked up a Gold Glove Award in 2018.
Before free agency began, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and The Athletic’s Jim Bowden projected the contracts for all of the top free agents, including Freeman. McDaniel had him getting a six-year, $156 million deal, while Bowden had Freeman at six years and $187 million.
Mike Rosenstein may be reached at mrosenstein@njadvancemedia.com.
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