Last week Freddie Freeman became the only active MLB player with 2,500 career hits en route to helping lead the Los Angeles Dodgers to a blowout win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The milestone was recognized on the field by Freeman’s teammates sitting in the dugout, and again in the clubhouse with a celebratory toast. Although the achievement is certainly noteworthy in its own right, it again spurred up conversations of Freeman’s stated desire to join the 3,000-hit club.
“I never thought about it, ever, until the last few years when people started bringing up more of the individual stats that I’m coming close to,” Freeman said on SportsNet LA. “It obviously sits on your mind, and when you reach this one, the next one is the big one.”
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts congratulated Freeman on 2,500 hits before turning the floor over to the future Hall of Famer. As Freeman addressed the clubhouse, Roberts interjected, “You better get 500 more.”
Freddie Freeman torn on extending career for 3,000 hits
Back in Spring Training, Freeman outlined multiple personal goals he wanted to achieve. Among them was reaching 3,000 hits and playing 20 seasons, which he recognized would need to come under a new contract. Freeman expressed a desire to remain with the Dodgers beyond his current deal that expires after the 2027 season.
But more recently he softened on playing past next year, in part because of he and his wife, Chelsea, welcomed their fourth child.
Even after clearing 2,500 hits, Freeman is undecided on his future.
“You’ve got to be healthy and you’ve got to play longer. I’ve played 17 years. You’ve got to keep going. Over the last year or two, 3,000 is a number I would love to get to but I have one year under contract left, so there’s still a lot of other factors that go into it,” he said.
“I’ve got four kids now and I’ve got to see what is going on there. I would love to get 3,000 hits. I would love to. I’m not going to deny it. Do I know if I’m going to get there? I don’t know. Hopefully people want me to still play after 2027.”
In the meantime, Freeman is soaking in this season with the help of the Dodgers opening his mind to appreciating individual moments over the course of a long year.
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