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VENICE, Fla. — Freddie Freeman’s name wasn’t in the Atlanta Braves’ megadeal Monday. Standing in front of microphones, general manager Alex Anthopoulos refused even to say it.
The tears welling in Anthopoulos’ eyes explained it all.
Freeman’s tenure with the Braves appears to be over after the World Series champions acquired All-Star first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics, a franchise-altering deal that cost a prize package of four players, including young outfielder Cristian Pache.
Freeman was the 2020 NL MVP and a five-time All-Star over 12 seasons with Atlanta, including as a veteran leader on last year’s championship team. He became a free agent after the season, but even then, it was hard to imagine the career-long Brave wouldn’t return.
He didn’t sign before rosters froze Dec. 2 as part of a labor lockout that stretched 99 days. When rosters unlocked Thursday, reports indicated the big-money Los Angeles Dodgers or New York Yankees were hotly pursuing the left-handed slugger.
Anthopoulos said it became clear to him Sunday night that Freeman wasn’t coming back. At that point, he went full steam after Olson.
“One of the best first basemen in the game,” Anthopoulos said of his new first baseman.
He declined repeatedly to discuss his old one. Still, he admitted he has never had a tougher time emotionally pulling the trigger on a trade.
“You get attached,” he said.
Atlanta manager Brian Snitker was speaking to reporters when ESPN broke the news. He said it was the first he was hearing of the trade.
“He’s been our guy for a number of years,” Snitker said of Freeman. “Personally, he’s meant a lot to me.”
Snitker, 66, already knows Olson, who grew up about 40 minutes east of Atlanta’s Truist Park in Lilburn, Georgia. Snitker said they have worked together at several youth baseball camps.
Olson, 27, is a two-time Gold Glove winner with a .252 career average, 142 homers and an .859 OPS over six seasons. He hit 39 homers and drove in 111 runs last season,…
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Source : espn
