The Freddie Freeman sweepstakes is one of the most fascinating MLB storylines to follow this week, especially with the surprising Tampa Bay Rays right in the thick of things.
Several teams, for one reason or another, have been stepping down of the race: the Atlanta Braves traded for Matt Olson, the New York Yankees re-signed Anthony Rizzo, and the Toronto Blue Jays already brought in a major infield upgrade on Wednesday in Matt Chapman, and Vladimir Guerrero Jr. will stay in the cold corner.
There are several competitors left, though.
The Boston Red Sox need to make a statement to regain some ground in the AL East, the San Diego Padres badly need to replace Eric Hosmer‘s lackluster production, and the Los Angeles Dodgers are a logical fit for several reasons.
The Rays Want Freeman Badly
The Rays, however, remain very much involved, to everyone’s surprise.
“Word going around is Rays are being aggressive in Freddie Freeman talks. Hard to believe they are in at all on a free agent superstar to begin with. If they can outbid the Dodgers and Red Sox and everyone else, that would be something,” MLB insider Jon Heyman wrote via Twitter on Wednesday afternoon.
Word going around is Rays are being aggressive in Freddie Freeman talks. Hard to believe they are in at all on a free agent superstar to begin with. If they can outbid the Dodgers and Red Sox and everyone else, that would be something.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 16, 2022
The Rays’ intense pursuit of Freeman shows that there are no limits for MLB teams other than their own desire to spend.
The Rays have ran some of the lowest payrolls in recent years and are among the teams with the lowest average attendance to home games.
There has been chatter about them moving to another city.
Yet they remain committed to taking advantage of their contention window, extending shortstop Wander Franco, signing pitcher Corey Kluber, and making an attempt to bring in Freeman.
It’s a joy to watch, and should be an example for other teams.
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