House That Hank Built
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The Atlanta Braves and possible contract extensions

By Alan Carpenter

Atlanta Braves players Marcell Ozuna with Freddie Freeman. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves players Marcell Ozuna with Freddie Freeman. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images) /
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Freddie Freeman of the Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images) /

FREDDIE FREEMAN

Freddie Freeman really deserves his own separate category for a number of reasons.  He’s the unofficial captain of his team.  He’s the face of the franchise,  He’s embraced Atlanta and the Braves, declaring that he doesn’t want to ever leave.  He’s also on a possible Hall of Fame trajectory.

Freeman is also not going to be a free agent at the end of 2020, so there’s less urgency to consider his next contract.

That might be the way both sides prefer it — perhaps choosing to wait until 2021 before making those choices.

However…

  • It would be a sign of true respect to him to resolve this sooner than later.
  • It would be good to ink a new deal prior to any of the complications start creeping in from what is likely to be a difficult renegotiation of the MLB/MLBPA Collective Bargaining Agreement coming next Winter.
  • And… it would go ahead and set the market standard for him while also removing any doubt about his future.

Freeman is soon to turn 31 years old and has actually improved his OPS this season (currently 1.000, which would eclipse his high-water mark of .989 in 2017).  He’s also healthy now — no wrist ailments and recovered from his virus bout (otherwise, that number might have been 1.100 at this point).

Freeman is elite and is finally getting his due around the league for being the consistent high-performer that he has been.  Such a player probably commands $28-30 million on the open market.  In this case, however, both his own demeanor and Chipper Jones‘ prior lead on the subject are guides to a modestly lower price level.

Freeman will be finishing up a $135 million, 8-year deal after the 2021 season.  It would be appropriate for the parties to tear up that last year and provide him with a new 8-year deal starting at $25 million annually, and ramping down to $24/22/20 million for years 6, 7, and 8.

Throw in a pair of $18 million options for his age 39- and 40-year seasons and call it done: that adds to $191 million guaranteed, plus an additional $36 million for those option years.

It respects his wishes and his work while also protecting the club: this should be a win/win for both sides.

You’ve got to take care of your Hall-of-Fame-level guys, right?

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