As hard to believe as it may be, Freddie Freeman is a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Yes, he grew up on the West Coast, but we all had grown accustomed to seeing him with the Atlanta Braves’ number 5 uniform.
He was drafted and developed by the Braves, and he played in the majors with them since 2010.
After hitting 271 homers, winning an MVP award, and a World Series title, the Braves opted to go younger at first base, trading for Matt Olson.
Freeman, just a few days later, signed a big six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers.
He has already chosen his number in Los Angeles, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale
“Freddie Freeman is wearing his traditional No. 5, Corey Seager’s old number, this time in #Dodger blue. His locker is next to fellow MVP Cody Bellinger,” Nightengale tweeted on Friday.
Freddie Freeman is wearing his traditional No. 5, Corey Seager’s old number, this time in #Dodger blue. His locker is next to fellow MVP Cody Bellinger
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) March 18, 2022
Freeman Will Keep His Old Number
That’s the uniform number he used in Atlanta, and he will get the chance to keep it on his new team.
The Dodgers now have arguably the best lineup in baseball, and the Houston Astros and the Toronto Blue Jays are the only teams fielding a comparable unit.
Freeman joins a talented core that includes catcher Will Smith, infielders Max Muncy, Trea Turner, Chris Taylor, and Justin Turner; and outfielders AJ Pollock, Mookie Betts, and Bellinger.
There are several MVP winners in that lineup.
Freeman, currently 32, had a very solid season in 2021.
He slashed .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runs, 120 runs scored, 83 RBI, and a 4.5 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) mark.
It was an impressive showing.
Oh, and he hit five postseason homers to lead the Braves to their first World Series title since 1995.
He is still an elite performer, one that the Dodgers will enjoy for a long time.
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