Freddie Freeman’s decision to sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022 after spending his entire career with the Atlanta Braves up to that point has proven to be one of the biggest free agency moments in recent memory.
He will undoubtedly go down as an all-time great for both franchises, but it raises the question of how Freeman will be remembered by the general public and for possible Cooperstown induction.
This was the subject of debate during a recent NBC broadcast. Former Braves teammate and Hall of Famer Andruw Jones said Freeman will always be a Braves player in his eyes.
“It’s going to be tough, to be honest with you,” Jones began. “I’ve known Freddie for a very long time and I know what kind of player he is; it’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be a tough one to choose, but he’s always a Brave in my heart.
“I’m looking forward to the end of his career, where his numbers are going to end up and stuff like that. He’s definitely a Hall of Famer.”
It was a tough decision for 14-year veteran Anthony Rizzo, but the immense amount of success Freeman has had in L.A. was impossible for him to ignore.
“I mean, I hate to say this here in his old stomping grounds, but I believe he’s going to be a Dodger. He’s won two World Series there,” Rizzo said.
“I know they won a World Series here and that was a special run, but what they’re doing out in L.A., the repeat hasn’t been done in 20-plus years. So it’s going to be an interesting decision, especially if he keeps playing and gets that 3,000th hit.”
While Shohei Ohtani’s free agency decision has been more impactful, his departure from the Los Angeles Angels was to be expected. Freeman’s exit after 12 Hall of Fame-caliber seasons was much more of a shock, especially with the Braves coming off their 2021 World Series victory over the Houston Astros.
The Dodgers provided a larger contract than the Braves were willing to offer, which ultimately put their proposal over the edge. Atlanta reportedly was unwilling to offer a six-year contract, opting instead to trade for and sign Matt Olson to an eight-year extension.
Freeman’s accomplishments in Atlanta can never be discounted, but a possible third straight World Series title and 3,000 career hits coming in a Dodgers uniform would be difficult to argue with.
Dodgers players praise Freddie Freeman
Earlier this season, Freeman became only the 102nd player in MLB history to reach at least 2,500 career hits.
Max Muncy and Mookie Betts marveled not only at Freeman’s hitting prowess and longevity, but his impressive number of career doubles as well.
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