Braves: Freddie Freeman Signing with Dodgers Shouldn’t Change His Legacy in Atlanta
Former Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman finally found his new home on Wednesday signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
It seemed inevitable that once the Atlanta Braves decided to move on from Freddie Freeman and trade for Matt Olson, the beloved former Brave would end up with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Moving his family back to the Westcoast where he grew up always made a lot of sense for him if things didn’t work out with the Braves — I just hoped it would be the Angels or even the Padres that snagged him.
Much to the dismay of many around Braves Country, he did end up signing with the rival Dodgers.
BREAKING: Freddie Freeman has agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal according to @JeffPassan and me.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 17, 2022
His camp stuck to their guns in wanting that sixth year and eventually, he got it from his hometown team. I can’t say I blame him and he’s certainly earned the right to receive the best deal he can get.
But that won’t stop fans from reacting emotionally to this decision from Freeman.
Obviously, Twitter can be a dangerous place to try and gauge fan reaction, but emotions have been wild this week with some fans quickly turning on Freddie Freeman — and for some reason his wife as well.
That’s not fair and Freeman shouldn’t be the villain in all of this — neither should the Braves. A business decision was made and both sides did what they thought was best for their business.
However, I’d be lying if I said my feelings on Freddie Freeman haven’t changed slightly going forward.
It’s not that I don’t like him, but I don’t feel the need to continue and cheer for him and follow his career post-Atlanta like I once did. I’ll always appreciate what he did with the Braves and the great moments he gave us fans — but he’s with the enemy now.
Braves vs. Freddie Freeman — The Negotiations
Part of the change in feelings for Freddie Freeman is because of the way negotiations allegedly went down with Atlanta. And we’ll never really know the truth, so keep in mind anything you hear — including what I’m about to say — is pure speculation.
What we gather from reports is that Freddie Freeman had an offer on the table from the Atlanta Braves for 5 years and $140 million. It had been pretty clear all along that GM Alex Anthopoulos was not going to give him that sixth year.
Once it got to a point where AA had to move on or risk missing out on other big moves, he pivoted to Matt Olson.
There was a report the Braves didn’t give Freddie’s camp a head’s up they were going to make the trade. Maybe that would have motivated Freddie to take the Braves’ offer, or maybe it wouldn’t have made a bit of difference considering the two sides had been talking for months, possibly years, and his camp knew where the line in the sand was and knew the risk that the Braves could move on.
Once that happened, other potential suitors for Freeman did the same with the Yankees signing Anthony Rizzo and the Blue Jays trading for Matt Chapman.
That left his potential suitors down to the Dodgers, Rays, Red Sox, and Padres.
San Diego needed to move Eric Hosmer first, so they were never likely. And I get the feeling he didn’t really want to play in Boston or Tampa.
That would make sense based on a report from Jon Heyman saying he turned down a bigger deal elsewhere that I’m assuming is Boston since we know the Rays and Braves offered less than the Dodgers.
In the end, Freeman got his sixth year from the Dodgers, but at a less annual average value than what the Braves offered.
Pure speculation here, but I believe Freeman and his team overplayed their hand, thought they could get more money — closer to 6/$180 — and once suitors dropped out he took the best deal on the board in a place he wanted to play.
Maybe this is me being biased or being naive from everything Freddie said about wanting to end his career in Atlanta, but I can’t imagine he’d turn down 5/$140 from Atlanta if he knew the best offer he’d get from the Dodgers was 6/$160. Especially when you consider the tax difference in those states.
Was a sixth year really that important to him.? Sures seems that way.
Braves: Freddie Freeman’s Legacy in Atlanta
This is obviously a hard realization for many Braves fans who envisioned Freddie Freeman having a similar legendary career in Atlanta to Chipper Jones — I’m certainly one of those fans.
But let’s not forget what the first baseman gave to us fans and the city of Atlanta.
He spent 12 years in Atlanta where he made 5 All-Star appearances, won an NL MVP, and ended a 26-year World Series drought.
And not just that, but he signed an eight-year extension going into the 2014 season right ahead of a tough rebuild.
He gave plenty to the city of Atlanta, and while I hoped the Braves would get a hometown discount, he certainly didn’t owe them anything.
It was a business decision, and while I would have loved to see him stay in Atlanta, I think AA made the right move and I’m very excited about the future of the Braves.
Time will ultimately tell what Freeman’s legacy will be with the Braves. If he goes to LA and wins multiple championships, perhaps another MVP, and beats the Braves in the process, perhaps fans sour even more on him.
I would have been happy cheering for him had he signed with the Angels, Rays, Padres — pretty much any team other than the Dodgers.
When he returns to Atlanta I’ll be right there to give him a standing ovation for all he did for the franchise, but as soon as he steps in that box I’ll be hoping he strikes out.
Should the Braves Retire Freddie Freeman’s Number
The thought of whether or not the Braves should retire Freeman’s number is a topic that has come up a lot this week.
Again, I think just like with his legacy, it will depend on how things play out. Can you really retire the number of a player who goes to another team that constantly knocks you out of the playoffs (if that were to happen)?
I’ve seen some say that Andruw Jones’ number isn’t retired and he deserves it more than Freddie. While Andruw is one of my favorite players of all time, he never won a World Series or an MVP in Atlanta.
I do think AJ’s number should be retired, though, because I also think he should be in the Hall of Fame as the best defensive center fielder of all time.
If Freddie Freeman ends up going into the Hall of Fame — and I would assume it’s a Brave — then you would almost have to retire his number.
Greg Maddux would be the only player who has their number retired with the Braves that played fewer seasons in Atlanta than Freddie.
Freeman ranks sixth in franchise history in WAR by position players. Everyone ahead of him has their number retired except Andruw.
It’s a toss-up for me right now — I wouldn’t be bothered either way if they decide to retire it or not. Again, a lot will depend on how the rest of his career plays out.
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Let me know in the comments if your feelings on Freddie Freeman have changed with everything that transpired this offseason, and if you think the Braves should retire his number.