Freddie Freeman may be on the move once the lockout ends, and here are the three best fits for him if he decides to leave the Atlanta Braves.
There is a ‘growing belief’ that Freddie Freeman will not return to the Braves, per @Buster_ESPN pic.twitter.com/25OvmEfPyA
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) February 22, 2022
3. Seattle Mariners
According to Matt Snyder of CBS Sports, the Seattle Mariners were one of many teams inquiring about Oakland A’s first baseman Matt Olson.
But what if they pivoted from Olson and opened their pocketbook a little?
They already have acquired Adam Frazier from the San Diego Padres and signed Robbie Ray to a five-year, $115 million deal, so they’ve proven that they want to win.
Who’s to say they won’t take a chance on Freeman?
Seattle barely missed the postseason last year, extending their playoff drought to 20 years.
A move for Freeman would show their fanbase and the baseball world that they intend to make noise in 2022.
2. Los Angeles Dodgers
Freeman is a west-coast guy, and back in November, R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports made a list of potential destinations for Freeman and mentioned Los Angeles as a potential fit.
Anderson mentioned that under the watch of Andrew Friedman, the Dodgers have always been a team to go out and try to add high level talent, so it’s certainly something the Dodgers could pull off.
Chipper Jones also offered some speculation that his former teammate could be headed to LA, stating that Freeman was being approached by “some of the prettiest girls on the block”, and that he would be listening to those offers, while also mentioning that Freeman is a So-Cal guy and was somewhat frustrated by some of the Braves’ offers to him.
“The Braves have made some offers, didn’t make him happy," Jones said. "He’s being courted by some of the prettiest girls on the block right now, he’s gonna listen to them." Chipper admitted he hasn't talked w/ Freeman "in quite some time." But wow. (2/2)https://t.co/StGSpTRXoh
— Knox Bardeen (@knoxbardeen) February 16, 2022
Freeman would make the Dodgers instant favorites to win a title.
They already have Trea and Justin Turner on the left side of the infield.
Adding Freeman and shifting Max Muncy over to second base would make their right side of the infield look pretty scary as well.
The Dodgers are hellbent on winning another ring, and it would be hard to imagine them not going after Freeman when the lockout finally comes to an end.
1. Texas Rangers
Also on Anderson’s list of potential Freeman suitors were the Texas Rangers.
Texas has already proven its desire to win, signing both Corey Seager and Marcus Semien to long-term contracts, as well as signing Jon Gray to help shore up the starting rotation.
Now, they do have Nathaniel Lowe who can play first base, but signing Freeman would make them a clear contender in the American League and they could be dark horse candidates to win the AL West or snag a Wild Card spot.
The Rangers were last in the postseason in 2016 and have finished under .500 in each of the following seasons, but Freeman would give fans even more of an incentive to come out to the beautiful new Globe Life Field and fill the stands in Arlington.
It’ll be an interesting couple of weeks once the lockout ends and free agency resumes.
Players will be on the move like never before and it’ll all happen in a very short time.
We’ll see if Freeman ends up signing with one of these three best fits.
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