Braves Experience Power Outage While Staying at Allegedly Haunted Hotel in Milwaukee
May 17, 2022
MILWAUKEE, WI - OCTOBER 09: An Atlanta Braves Glove and hat sit in the sunshine during a game between the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves at American Family Field on October 9, 2021 in Milwaukee, WI. (Photo by Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Strange things have been known to happen to Major League Baseball players at the Pfister Hotel in Milwaukee, and the Atlanta Braves experienced some issues of their own Monday.
Rich Rovito of the Associated Press reported the hotel had "an extended power outage," which left some players on the Braves unable to shower.
In 2013, Stacey Pressman of ESPN The Magazine compiled a list of stories from players around the league who believed the hotel was haunted in some way. Bryce Harper, Giancarlo Stanton and Pablo Sandoval were among those who shared their stories.
"Man, I hate when we have four games there," Stanton said. "Two, three, anything's better than four. It's freaky as s--t, with the head-shot paintings on the walls and the old curtains everywhere. It reminds me of the Disneyland Haunted House. The less time I'm there, the better."
Fortunately for the Braves, they don't have to worry about playing four games in Milwaukee since Monday was the opener to a three-game set.
It was a busy offseason for the 2021 World Series champion Atlanta Braves , as they said goodbye to homegrown superstar Freddie Freeman, replaced him with slugger Matt Olson and rebuilt the relief corps with a handful of outside additions...
Ronald Acuna Jr. Rumors: Braves Targeting May 6 for Star's Return from ACL Injury
Apr 16, 2022
Atlanta Braves Ronald Acuna Jr. waits for batting practice before Game 2 of baseball's National League Championship Series Sunday, Oct. 17, 2021, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. is reportedly on track to return to game action in a few weeks.
According to Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports, the Braves are "loosely" targeting Acuna's season debut to occur May 6, which is the start of a home series against the Milwaukee Brewers:
Rosenthal added that Acuna could begin a minor league rehab assignment as soon as Tuesday.
Acuna suffered a torn ACL last July that ended his 2021 season. The Braves announced April 4 that he would start the 2022 season on the injured list as he continued his recovery.
Prior to his injury, Acuna looked well on his way to an MVP-caliber season. He was leading the majors with 72 runs scored and was elected to the All-Star Game for the second time in his young career. The 24-year-old batted .283 with 24 home runs, 84 hits, 52 RBI and 17 stolen bases in 82 games.
Despite Acuna's injury, the Braves won the National League East for the fourth straight season and made a surprising postseason run that culminated in a World Series victory. Atlanta took down the Houston Astros in six games for its first title since 1995.
When healthy, Acuna is one of the brightest stars in all of baseball. He earned the NL Rookie of the Year award in 2018 and was named an All-Star the following year when he led the NL in stolen bases. He also won two Silver Slugger awards in 2019 and 2020.
Without Acuna in the lineup, the Braves have been relying on Matt Olson, Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna to carry the load offensively, but Acuna may soon be back to make Atlanta's already-potent lineup even more dangerous.
Video: Braves Reveal 2021 World Series Rings Featuring 755 Total Diamonds
Apr 9, 2022
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 08: An up close view of the World Series Champions patch on the sleeve of the jersey of Austin Riley #27 of the Atlanta Braves prior to the game against the Cincinnati Reds at Truist Park on April 08, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves opened up the 2022 season Thursday, but the defending champions waited until before Saturday's game against the Cincinnati Reds to reveal their 2021 World Series rings.
The ring features 18.71-karat white gold on the "A" to represent the franchise's beginning in 1871. The "A" also features 150 diamonds, which represents the clubs 150-year anniversary.
The ring has 755 total diamonds, 44 emerald-cut diamonds and working lights on the inside. In addition, it has 11 rubies to represent the landing spots of the 11 home runs the team hit in the World Series.
Braves Country, we are proud to introduce you to...
— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) April 9, 2022
"I'll probably have to get out and look at it and still pinch myself every morning. It's unbelievable."@Braves manager Brian Snitker talks with @Kelly_Crull after receiving his World Series ring. pic.twitter.com/W7Zt25qNrV
— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@FanDuelSNBraves) April 9, 2022
The Braves defeated the Houston Astros in six games in the 2021 World Series to capture their first title since 1995.
Dodgers' Freddie Freeman Responds to Ronald Acuna Jr.'s Comments on Time With Braves
Apr 7, 2022
Los Angeles Dodgers' Freddie Freeman is congratulated by teammates in the dugout after scoring on a double by Trea Turner during the first inning of a spring training baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday, April 5, 2022, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman went on MLB Network and provided a response to critical comments about him from ex-Atlanta Braves teammate Ronald Acuna Jr.:
Acuna and Freeman were teammates in Atlanta from 2018 to 2021 before the first baseman left in free agency for the Dodgers last offseason.
Both were superstars during their time with the Braves.
In four years, Acuna has made two All-Star Games, won two Silver Slugger awards and finished top 12 in the National League MVP voting three times. The lone exception was 2021, when he suffered a torn ACL in July and missed the remainder of the season.
Freeman is a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger who won Gold Glove honors in 2018. In the 2021 World Series, he hit .318 (.996 OPS) with two home runs and five RBI in six games to help the Braves beat the Astros.
Braves' Ronald Acuna Jr. Says Freddie Freeman Comments 'Blown Out of Proportion'
Apr 7, 2022
HOUSTON, TEXAS - NOVEMBER 02: Freddie Freeman #5 and Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves celebrate their 7-0 victory against the Houston Astros in Game Six to win the 2021 World Series at Minute Maid Park on November 02, 2021 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. on Thursday addressed the comments he made about his relationship with former teammate Freddie Freeman during an Instagram Live session on Wednesday night.
“To be honest, I think it was just exaggerated and blown out of proportion by the media," Acuna said, according to Justin Toscano of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Acuna said during an interview with Yancen Pujols, a Domincan Republic-based reporter, that he wouldn't miss Freeman, who signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers this offseason.
The 24-year-old was also asked if he was close with Freeman, who he had spent four seasons with in Atlanta. He said they were close in that they "shared the same stadium" and added they had "lots of clashes."
Acuna's issues with Freeman began with disagreements they had during his 2018 rookie season.
"When you come up as a rookie, there's always someone who [wants to tell you how to do things]," he told Pujols, via ESPN's Coley Harvey. "You come up from the minor leagues with the big eye black, the sunglasses, the hat low, and a lot of people see that as wrong. And the other person doesn't see it as wrong because it's part of the game.
"A lot of veterans [picked on me] when I was a rookie, and they called me into the office themselves and told me: 'No, you can't use that.' And they took [the eye black] off me with a towel like that. And I said, 'OK, that's fine.'"
Here are his full comments:
Ronald Acuña Jr. spoke in the Braves clubhouse re: his Instagram live comments. He said his comments were exaggerated and blown out of proportion. Here are some highlights, w/his answers translated directly from Spanish pic.twitter.com/xIhUbAppv0
The Braves were incredibly successful over the last four seasons with Acuna and Freeman in their lineup. They made the playoffs every year and reached the NLCS in 2020 before winning the World Series in 2021.
However, Acuna missed the second half of the 2021 campaign and all of the playoffs after tearing his ACL in July. In 82 games, he slashed .283/.394/.596 with 24 home runs and 52 RBI.
The 2022 season will be an interesting one for Atlanta. Acuna is expected to be sidelined until at least May while he continues his recovery, and the franchise has replaced Freeman at first base with Matt Olson, whom it acquired in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.
With Acuna sidelined, Olson, Ozzie Albies, Marcell Ozuna, Eddie Rosario and Dansby Swanson are expected to hold down the fort offensively, while Max Fried, Charlie Morton and Ian Anderson headline Atlanta's rotation.
Braves' Ronald Acuna Denies Ripping Freddie Freeman During Instagram Live Interview
Apr 7, 2022
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - APRIL 27: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves reacts with Freddie Freeman #5 after hitting a solo homer in the fifth inning against the Chicago Cubs at Truist Park on April 27, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Atlanta Braves star Ronald Acuna Jr. has denied criticizing Freddie Freeman during an Instagram Live interview on Tuesday.
Yancen Pujols, who conducted the interview, and Hector Gomez of Z101 Digital confirmed that Acuna said he won't miss Freeman because the 2020 National League MVP was overbearing and someone Acuna couldn't ever talk to.
In a translation of the Spanish-language interview from ESPN's Alden Gonzalez, Acuna said he and Freeman were only close "in that we shared the same stadium" but they had "lots of clashes."
One such clash, according to Acuna, came during his rookie season when "a lot of veterans" on the team picked on him for doing things differently than they did, like wearing "big eye black, the sunglasses, the hat low," and a lot of people see that as wrong."
There were no indications, at least publicly, that Acuna and Freeman didn't get along during their four seasons as teammates.
There was a moment last season when Acuna was doing an Instagram Live as the team was getting ready to leave on a road trip, and Freeman made a comment in the video saying they needed his bags for the plane to take off.
The comment could easily be read as just fun needling between two teammates. There's certainly no indication Freeman is trying to be malicious with that comment.
Freeman and Acuna spent the past four years as teammates in Atlanta, and the organization had tremendous success during that time period. The Braves made the postseason all four years, reaching the NLCS in 2020 and winning the World Series in 2021.
Acuna missed the second half of the season and playoffs last year after tearing his ACL on July 10 against the Miami Marlins.
Freeman, who spent his entire career with the Braves after being drafted in 2007, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers as a free agent in March. He was a five-time All-Star and three-time Silver Slugger winner for Atlanta.
The Braves acquired Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics to replace Freeman at first base. Acuna, who is expected to be out until the first week of May, is taking over as the face of the franchise in Atlanta.
Acuna was hitting .283/.394/.596 with 24 homers and 52 RBI in 82 games prior to injuring his knee.
The Braves will begin the defense of their World Series title Thursday against the Cincinnati Reds.
Former Dodgers Closer Kenley Jansen, Braves Agree to 1-Year, $16M Contract
Mar 19, 2022
LOS ANGELES, CA - OCTOBER 19: Kenley Jansen #74 of the Los Angeles Dodgers celebrates after the final out of Game 3 of the NLCS between the Atlanta Braves and the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodgers Stadium on Tuesday, October 19, 2021 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
Veteran closer Kenley Jansen is leaving the Los Angeles Dodgers after 12 seasons.
The Atlanta Braves announced they signed him to a one-year, $16 million deal Friday.
The right-hander is no longer the lights-out presence on the mound he was during his prime, yet he remains one of MLB's better relievers. His 1.8 WAR was tied for 11th on FanGraphs among relief pitchers in 2021.
Jansen made 69 appearances for the Dodgers, recording 38 saves, a 2.22 ERA and a 3.08 FIP. He averaged 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings.
The 34-year-old is far and away the franchise's all-time leader in saves. With 350, he has more than doubled Eric Gagne (161) in second place. Los Angeles also extended its playoff streak to nine years and reached the National League Championship Series for the fifth time in six seasons.
Despite those two factors, Jansen's future with the Dodgers was unclear heading into the offseason. He acknowledged the situation was "not in my hands" following L.A.'s NLCS exit, per the Los Angeles Times' Mike DiGiovanna:
This is the only team I know. They believed in me when I was 17 years old as a catcher. And then they made me a pitcher and believed in me as a pitcher. And here I am now. It happened fast. I enjoyed this journey. And I’ll always say, whatever happens, I’ll always be a Dodger.
In addition to Jansen, the 2020 world champions had Clayton Kershaw, Max Scherzer, Corey Seager and Chris Taylor all hitting free agency. While a rebuild obviously wasn't in store, it was potentially a period of transition, and re-signing a closer in his mid-30s wouldn't reflexively fit in that plan.
Jansen gave the front office plenty of reasons to keep him around, though.
After his average cutter velocity hit a career-low 90.87 mph in 2020, per Brooks Baseball, it climbed back to 92.58 mph. His sinker averaged 93.95 mph as well, up from 92.33 mph.
Per Baseball Savant, opposing hitters had a .271 expected slugging percentage and a .260 expected weighted on-base average against Jansen. Those numbers ranked in the top 3 and 7 percent of MLB, respectively.
The Curacao native was nearly untouchable in the postseason, too. He allowed three hits, zero runs and struck out 14 batters in seven innings of work.
But a decline is inevitable, and it's only a matter of when Jansen's performance begins to tail off in a more noticeable way.
His 4.7 walks per nine innings are one worrying metric. Opponents' .216 batting average on balls in play was also Jansen's lowest ever, so a correlation could be reflected in his numbers if that regresses more to his career average (.266).
The Dodgers have maintained one of MLB's highest payrolls for years, yet even they have their limits when it comes to spending top dollar on a declining pitcher on the wrong side of 30.
In Brusdar Graterol and Blake Treinen, Los Angeles already has two candidates to take over for Jansen as the closer.
After an underwhelming 2019 campaign, Treinen has rediscovered the form with L.A. that helped him save 38 games and make the All-Star team in 2018. Graterol, meanwhile, possesses electric stuff, including a fastball and sinker that can hit triple digits.
Putting emotion aside, it's probably for the best that the Dodgers decided to move on from Jansen rather than re-sign him and risk watching him experience the kind of decline that's inevitable for aging relievers.
Stats courtesy of FanGraphs unless otherwise noted.
Matt Olson Traded to Braves from Athletics amid Freddie Freeman Rumors
Mar 14, 2022
Oakland Athletics' Matt Olson reacts after striking out against the Seattle Mariners during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Thursday, Sept. 23, 2021. (AP Photo/Jeff Chiu)
TheAtlanta Braves have found their first baseman for the 2022 season after acquiring Matt Olson.
The Athletics will receive outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers and starting pitchers Ryan Cusick and Joey Estes in the blockbuster deal.
The deal also means superstar first baseman and longtime Brave Freddie Freeman will likely sign elsewhere in free agency.
After missing the playoffs with an increased payroll last season, the A's appear to have set their sights on a reset this offseason.
Manager Bob Melvin left the team in a surprise move to take the same job with the San Diego Padres. USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported the Athletics are looking to "slash their payroll to a major-league low $50 million for the 2022 season."
Per Spotrac, Oakland had a $90.9 million payroll in 2021. No player on the team is signed to a guaranteed contract after next season. Stephen Piscotty and Elvis Andrus both have $15 million team options for 2023.
Olson has two years of team control remaining and is projected to earn approximately $12 million through arbitration this season, per Spotrac.
The Atlanta native has been one of the best all-around first basemen in the American League since 2017 when he hit 24 homers and slugged .651 in 59 games as a rookie. He won back-to-back Gold Glove Awards in 2018 and 2019.
Since his first full season in 2018, Olson ranks fourth among all first baseman with 13.2 FanGraphs wins above replacement. He set career highs last season in batting average (.271), on-base percentage (.371), homers (39), RBI (111) and walks (88).
The Braves' move to acquire Olson comes as the team was waiting for Freeman to decide if he wanted to re-sign or move on in free agency.
Olson has posted better OPS+ totals than Freeman in two of the previous three seasons. He is five years younger and a better defensive player.
As long as the Braves get Ronald Acuna Jr. back healthy, they have all the pieces necessary to make another postseason run in 2022. Olson is a savvy addition by general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
The NL East figures to be highly competitive, especially at the top between three teams. The New York Mets could have the best one-two punch at the top of their starting rotation with Max Scherzer and Jacob deGrom. The Philadelphia Phillies should be better if Aaron Nola gets back on track after a disappointing 2021.
The Braves are the team to beat in the division after winning the World Series, but their path to a fifth consecutive NL East title will be difficult.
If the Braves Foolishly Let Freddie Freeman Walk, Where Will He Land?
Feb 23, 2022
ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 05: Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) showing appreciation for the Atlanta crowd during the championship celebration for the 2021 World Champion Atlanta Braves at Truist Park on November 05, 2021 at Truist Park in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by John Adams/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Way back when the dawn of time happened to coincide with the start of Major League Baseball's 2021-22 offseason, it seemed safe to take it for granted that Atlanta woudn't let superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman leave as a free agent.
Yet this didn't happen before MLB's owners locked out the players on Dec. 2, and the mood surrounding Freeman's potential reunion with Atlanta has only shifted further toward skepticism.
On Tuesday, ESPN's Buster Olney wrote of a "growing belief" within baseball that Freeman won't re-up with the only organization he's known since he began his professional career in 2007. This is a week after Chipper Jones, Freeman's friend and a fellow Atlanta legend, also cast doubt on the team's likelihood of retaining him during a radio interview.
Granted, the 32-year-old Freeman literally can't sign elsewhere until there's a new collective bargaining agreement and the lockout is lifted. And even then, Freeman departing from Atlanta will hardly be a fait accompli.
In the meantime, though, all this chatter is about as unsurprising as it must be disappointing for Atlanta fans.
Atlanta Doesn't Want to Take a Risk Worth Taking
In fairness to Atlanta, maybe the team thinks it's already done the best deal it's ever going to do with Freeman.
Though he was only 24 years old at the time, he was already established as one of baseball's top first basemen when he inked an eight-year, $135 million extension in February 2014. So it went between then and 2021 as he posted a .300/.394/.526 slash line, 203 home runs and the second-most WAR among first basemen behind Paul Goldschmidt.
Freeman's high point? Individually speaking, it was surely when he won the National League MVP in 2020. More broadly, it's hard to top him spearheading last year's championship run with a 1.045 OPS and five homers throughout the playoffs.
It is, of course, impossible to quantify how much Freeman endeared himself to the organization and the city of Atlanta. But if there's a moment that sums it up, it's when Dansby Swanson earned raucous cheers during Atlanta's World Series celebration last November by publicly pleading with the team to re-sign Freeman :
The man himself, meanwhile, never gave off the impression that he wanted out. On the contrary, Freeman was vocal about wanting to stay. Atlanta general manager Alex Anthopoulos reciprocated in November, right around the time when he promised the team's payroll would increase in 2022.
Just not enough, apparently, to satisfy Freeman's demands for his next contract.
As reported by Bob Nightengale of USA Today in November, the slugger wants something in the range of six years and $200 million. That's one more year and many more dollars over the five-year, $135 million offer that Atlanta put forward.
The $30 million-plus per year that Freeman wants is more or less the going rate for superstars these days. Atlanta's offer, though, is basically a carbon copy of what Goldschmidt got from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019. In and of itself, that he was a year younger than Freeman is now is arguably justification enough for Atlanta's relative stinginess.
Further, stars like Freeman historically haven't aged well. He's one of 22 modern first basemen to produce at least 40 WAR through their age-31 seasons. Of the other 21, only nine managed so much as 15 WAR from their age-32 season onward. Out of the other 12, by far the scariest cautionary tale is Albert Pujols.
But whereas signs of imminent decline were all over Pujols when he inked a 10-year, $240 million contract after his age-31 season in 2011, that's simply not the case with Freeman now. He just hit .300/.393/.503 in the regular season last year, and peripheral stats like his .320 xBA and .583 xSLG suggest he actually underachieved.
As anti-Pujols success stories go, Joey Votto stands out. He's continued to wield a potent bat after turning 32, including as a 37-year-old in 2021 as he blasted 36 home runs with a .938 OPS.
Hall of Famers Frank Thomas and Jim Thome are two more recent-ish success stories, and they had the advantage of something that Freeman also stands to benefit from starting in 2022: the designated hitter in the National League. For Atlanta, it would be a means to keep Freeman's bat in the lineup without having to deploy his legs on the field on a daily basis.
To be sure, Atlanta has never spent so much as $150 million on an individual player. Or on any of its full-season payrolls, for that matter. But if ever there was a time for an unprecedented splurge, it's one in which the franchise is awash in cash.
Per Tim Tucker of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that's right now. Between what it earned in the regular season and what it figured to earn in the playoffs, he projected Atlanta to beat its peak full-year revenue of $476 million.
So, don't be fooled. Though Atlanta is acting like it can't go higher than $135 million for Freeman, the likely truth is that it just doesn't want to.
There Is One Way Atlanta Could Save Face
If Atlanta's stance ultimately does result in Freeman departing for richer pastures, the team is going to have some explaining to do to all the people who...well, who were on the same page as Swanson last November.
Or, it could go right to making a peace offering in the form of a trade for Matt Olson.
OAKLAND, CA - SEPTMEBER 23: Matt Olson #28 of the Oakland Athletics during the game against the Seattle Mariners at RingCentral Coliseum on September 23, 2021 in Oakland, California. The Mariners defeated the Athletics 6-5. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images)
This, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, is something that Atlanta discussed with the Oakland Athletics prior to the lockout. Rightfully so, as Olson might as well be Freddie Freeman Lite.
Even despite a down year in 2020, Olson has Freeman beat in home runs (142 to 133) and nearly matched in WAR (18.3 to 21.8) over the last five seasons. Olson was a Gold Glover in 2018 and 2019 and an All-Star in 2021. He'll turn 28 on March 29, and he isn't due for free agency until after the 2023 season.
Yet the downside of an Olson trade is that Atlanta would have to match an asking price that MLB Network's Jon Heyman says is moon-like in height. Speculatively, Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors wrote that the A's would have to get a haul akin to what the Miami Marlins got for J.T. Realmuto: an elite prospect and an established or MLB-ready player.
To these ends, Atlanta's options are thin. It can't spare many (if any) players from its major league roster, including two projected starting outfielders who are also among the club's best prospects: Cristian Pache and Drew Waters.
Put another way, it would be simpler to just pay Freeman.
So Who Signs Freeman If Not Atlanta?
Even when Freeman seemed all but destined to re-sign with Atlanta, it was easy to imagine deep-pocketed contenders like the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers making things interesting.
Sure enough, Heyman reported that those two plus the Toronto Blue Jays were in the mix for Freeman before the lockout:
Teams are trying to pry superstar 1B Freddie Freeman from Atlanta. Some say they still don’t think it will happen but r surprised he’s still free. Dodgers, who lost Seager and could move Muncy to 2B, may have best hope for SoCal product, NYY, TOR (h/t Carlos Baerga) reached out.
To the extent that they got an MLB-low 20 home runs from the left side of the plate in 2021, Freeman fits the Blue Jays as a lineup-balancer. But since he's only 22 years old, it's hard to imagine them condemning superstar slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to an everyday DH role just yet. At least not while they have bigger fish to fry at third base and in the bullpen.
The Yankees, meanwhile, apparently "love" Freeman. But he's also more of a luxury than a need for them while they still have Luke Voit. They're also already looking at a $226.4 million luxury-tax payroll for 2022, so they might first have to cut before they pursue players they need, much less want.
The Dodgers, on the other hand, make a tad more sense.
Though they also have a bloated payroll for 2022, it's A) nothing new for them and B) actually less than what they spent in 2021 by tens of millions of dollars. They also need a left-handed slugger to fill the shoes of the departed Corey Seager, and they can make room for Freeman by moving Max Muncy to second base or DH.
Plus, Freeman is a Southern California native. Double-plus, third baseman Justin Turner lent some credence to the notion that Dodgers players want Freeman on the team:
Regarding the field, R.J. Anderson of CBS Sports identified the Texas Rangers as a dark horse for Freeman. They've already spent $556 million on Seager, Marcus Semien and Jon Gray, yet they arguably need a player of Freeman's experience and talent to truly take the leap into contention.
Speculatively, Freeman also fits with the Boston Red Sox, Seattle Mariners, Chicago Cubs, Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies. The Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres are longer shots because of their respective financial situations—shallow pockets for the former and an oversized payroll for the latter—but both could use a hitter of Freeman's caliber.
Ultimately, the best of all best guesses is that Freeman will end up on the Dodgers.
ESPN's Alden Gonzalez speculated they are unlikely to give him six years, but perhaps a five-year contract at an average annual value to Freeman's liking will get it done. To this end, even one for $30 million per year would put him $15 million up on what Atlanta is offering.
In any case, it's hard to imagine any scenario in which a falling-out with Atlanta doesn't work out for Freeman. If it doesn't pay him market value, someone else surely will.
