In the wake of major offseason moves, Atlanta star first baseman Freddie Freeman has been linked to an offeseason move.
Continue for updates.
Gonzalez Comments on Freeman Rumors
Tuesday, Nov. 17
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said Freeman “absolutely” will be playing for the Braves on opening day in an interview with MLB Network Radio.
“I talked to Coppolella,” Gonzalez said. “He said [Freeman] rumors are not true. We’ve never even entertained idea. People have called, he’s listened”
Conflicting Reports Surround Freeman’s Status on Trade Block
Monday, Nov. 16
Jonah Keri of ESPN, citing a source “close to the situation,” reported there is “nothing” to the rumors surrounding Freeman. Keri added the “Braves have had zero conversations about him.”
On Sunday, Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports reported the Braves’ willingness to shop Freeman was “the talk of the (Arizona) Fall League.”
Freeman is Face of the Braves During Rebuild
Freeman, 26, hit .276/.370/.471 with 18 home runs and 66 RBI last season. He was limited to 118 games because of injuries, breaking a streak of four straight years with 147 games played. Still, when in the lineup, Freeman was one of a select few bright spots for an Atlanta team that dropped 95 games.
Those struggles look to be the first year of a multiyear rebuild. The Braves shipped 26-year-old Andrelton Simmons, perhaps MLB’s best defensive shortstop, to the Los Angeles Angels on Nov. 12 for a package that included Erick Aybar. Trading Freeman immediately after would send a disconcerting sign to fans who expected the young pair to be part of the team’s next run at contention.
Simmons is under contract through the 2020 season, while Freeman’s $135 million deal ends a year later. At the time, it looked like the Braves were signing Freeman and Simmons as proactive moves to keep their best young players in-house.
As it stands, it appears those contracts are just being used to make their young players more attractive in potential trade packages.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.
Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com