The 2021-22 offseason in MLB had several storylines: one of them was Freddie Freeman‘s situation.
An Atlanta Braves icon who won the NL MVP in 2020 and the World Series in 2021, he was widely expected to return there as a free agent.
The Braves, however, had other plans.
Not only they did they not want to go six years with their longtime star, but they sacrificed prospects to bring in Matt Olson, Freeman’s replacement, to play first base and gave him a mammoth contract.
In any case, Freeman knows that despite what happened in recent months, fans in Atlanta love him and are grateful for what he did for the franchise.
.@FreddieFreeman5 will forever be a part of Braves history. pic.twitter.com/M8Rim3ntxx
— MLB (@MLB) June 24, 2022
“[email protected] will forever be a part of Braves history,” the league’s Twitter account wrote, with some quotes by the player.
“I love Braves country, and I always will,” he said.
There Is Mutual Love And Respect Between Freeman And Braves Fans
Loud and clear: fans, and the city as a whole, are not to blame about Freeman not returning to Atlanta, and the player knows it.
And to be fair, the Braves’ front office made a baseball decision that should be respected, even if most of us don’t necessarily agree with it.
They thought the 32-year-old Freeman would be a liability on a six-year contract, so they went with a much younger alternative who was also an established star.
Baseball is full of these decisions, and Freeman is well aware of that.
It would have been very cool to see him retire as a one-club player with the Braves, but he is doing well with the Los Angeles Dodgers (.880 OPS) and both teams are doing fine, too.
It just happens sometimes.
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