8:08 pm: MLB’s John Heyman Tweets That the Dodgers and Braves are probably Freeman’s most landing spots. He hears that Atlanta’s bids have been in the $140 million range for five years.
7:32 PM: Morosi Add Freeman is expected to make his decision within the next 24 hours and can do so as soon as this evening.
7:04 pm: The Dodgers make a ‘strong push’ for the first baseman Freddy FreemanMLB.com’s Jon Morosi reports (Twitter link). Morosi adds that Los Angeles has officially put a bid on the table.
Freeman is among the best free agents on the market, and it is generally expected that he will sign quickly in the wake of the closing period. The Dodgers are among the teams that have been linked with the 2020 NL MVP, as are the Braves, Yankees, Blue Jays, and – most unusually – Rays.
Many have long speculated that Freeman, a brave who has spanned his career, would re-sign with Atlanta on a long-term deal. Calls for the Braves to keep him around have been especially strong after the club wrapped up their world title in November. Freeman, of course, played a big role in Atlanta’s first tournament in 26 years; After hitting .300/.393/.503 during the regular season, the OPS scored above .990 in all three qualifying rounds.
However, the Braves were reportedly not ready to offer a guaranteed sixth year to the 32-year-old first baseman. Freeman wouldn’t come to terms with anyone prior to the shutdown, and rumors swirled throughout the layoff that he and the club might go in different directions. There was no lack of interest in Freeman’s services, and the Braves had at least considered the possibility of trading for an A . star Matt Olson or signature Anthony Rizzo as contingency plans.
Of course, Freeman wouldn’t end up leaving him out of lock. The Dodgers touring a serious five-time All-Star Championship is no surprise. Atlanta can look to push itself again, and there is no indication that an agreement between Freeman and Los Angeles is imminent.
The first fundamental market numbers are seeing quite a bit of movement in the coming days and weeks. Freeman and Rizzo have yet to sign. It is widely believed that the A’s will move Olson before the start of the season as they are said to be embarking on an effort to cut salaries. The Yankees have been linked with their first base upgrades of the season, which could make 2020 the home run champion. Luke Voigt A realistic commercial filter as well.
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