The Atlanta Braves won the 2021 World Series with some major help from their star, Freddie Freeman.
Freeman, who is currently a free agent after playing the first 12 seasons of his MLB career in Atlanta, hit .304/.420/.625 with five homers, 11 RBI, and a 1.045 OPS during the 2021 postseason.
He remains a top candidate to return to the Braves in 2022 under a new long-term deal, but so far, the team has been reluctant to grant him his wish of a six-year contract.
Freeman is currently 32, and the Braves would prefer a shorter commitment because they fear his performance could fall off a cliff eventually, as it happens with everybody.
In the middle are the New York Yankees and the Los Angeles Dodgers, reportedly interested in the lefty-hitting star.
The Braves Are Seriously Considering Not Signing Freeman
Atlanta even reached the point in which they started looking at potential replacements for Freeman.
The free agent market doesn’t currently offer alternatives comparable to him, but the trade market is another story.
The Oakland Athletics are reportedly willing to rebuild because they don’t want to spend too much on payroll.
That opens the door for some potential deals, including their first baseman Matt Olson.
Reporters Ken Rosenthal and Jon Heyman recently confirmed that the Braves’ interest in Olson before the lockout was real, and that he is currently one of the top fallback options should they lose Freeman to another team.
Olson is a fallback option for the Braves should their Freeman talks fall through, as @Ken_Rosenthal says. Back on Dec. 1 I also reported the Atlanta native is on Braves’ radar, in case. https://t.co/d71snIP2uW
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) January 25, 2022
They should be able to hammer out a contract with Freeman eventually: he is a fan favorite, he remains a star (.300/.393/.503, 31 home runs, 120 runs, 83 RBI, and a .896 OPS in 2021), and he is one of the favorite characters in the clubhouse.
Olson is no slouch, either: he hit .271/.371/.540 last season, with 39 home runs, 101 runs, 111 RBI, and a .911 OPS.
Olson is also younger, at 27 years old, and has two remaining seasons of team control if there are no changes to the current system after the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) negotiations.
Additionally, Olson is a superior defensive option at this point.
Olson Would Be A Worthwhile, But Expensive Acquisition
The problem for the Braves, though, is that Oakland is rightfully asking for a lot in return for Olson.
A player of his caliber with multiple years of control doesn’t come cheap.
Atlanta has some impressive pitching depth and can certainly pull off a deal if they want to.
For now, however, Olson remains an alternative and perhaps not a priority.
Freeman, a five-time All-Star, the 2020 NL MVP, and a 2021 World Series champion, is a priority, or at least should be, for Atlanta.
The decision Freeman makes can jumpstart the offseason again (once transactions are allowed, of course) because if the Yankees and Dodgers fail to sign him, they could pursue an Olson trade.
In fact, the Yankees have been linked to Olson all winter and also have the pieces to pull off a trade if they wish.
Proposes a package *starting* with Austin Wells, Oswald Peraza, and Luis Gil for Matt Olson and Frankie Montas.
The trade simulator sees it as a massive underpay for the #Yankees. We have to factor in that the A’s have financial motives. However, they would likely ask for more. https://t.co/fqX5NJ0Hwc— Tom Kosensky (@mryclept) January 19, 2022
Olson is, until Freeman or the Braves make a decision on the player’s future, Atlanta’s top backup plan.
He is not a bad plan at all, but Oakland, seeing how many teams are interested in their first baseman, could ask for a king’s ransom in return.
Stay tuned.
