Freeman, Dodgers reportedly agree to $162 million, 6-year deal

Freddie Freeman is headed dwelling to Southern California and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The primary-time free agent and the Dodgers have agreed to a $162 million, six-year contract, in keeping with an individual conversant in the deal. The individual spoke to The Related Press on the situation of anonymity late Wednesday evening as a result of the transfer had not but been introduced by the workforce.

Freeman was the 2020 Nationwide League MVP. The primary baseman helped the Atlanta Braves to their fourth straight NL East title final season and their first World Sequence championship since 1995.

It was assumed that Atlanta would attempt to lock up Freeman, who had by no means performed for one more workforce. However a deal didn’t get executed earlier than the labor lockout started in early December after which the Braves traded for All-Star first baseman Matt Olson from Oakland and signed him to a $168 million, eight-year deal this week, signaling the top of Freeman’s lengthy tenure in Atlanta.

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Now the 32-year-old five-time All-Star might be taking part in not removed from the place he grew up in Orange County. He already lives within the space within the offseason.

Freeman is from Fountain Valley, the place he rooted for the Los Angeles Angels as a child.

Including Freeman provides the Dodgers an much more imposing lineup. He’ll be part of former MVPs Mookie Betts and Cody Bellinger, together with Trea Turner, Max Muncy and Justin Turner. The lineup already was among the many Nationwide League’s finest final 12 months with 237 dwelling runs and 5.12 runs per recreation to go together with 612 walks and an OPS of .759.

Freeman provides the Dodgers a left-handed bat in the midst of the order to switch Corey Seager, who signed with the Texas Rangers as a free agent.

Muncy, a left-handed hitting first baseman, can transfer to second base or function the designated hitter, which turns into everlasting within the NL this season.

Muncy was sidelined for the whole postseason final 12 months after sustaining an elbow damage in a collision at first on the final day of the common season. Supervisor Dave Roberts has mentioned Muncy must be out there for opening day on April 8, however he’s uncertain whether or not Muncy might be prepared to start out at first.

A profession .295 hitter, Freeman has surpassed 20 homers eight occasions with a career-high 38 in 2019. He has a pair of 100-RBI seasons on his resume, and three different years when he drove in additional than 90 runs. He has three Silver Slugger awards and a Gold Glove for his defensive work.

Freeman was a second-round draft choose by Atlanta in 2007 and rapidly labored his means by way of the farm system. He was a September call-up in 2010, making his massive league debut lower than two weeks earlier than his twenty first birthday.

Freeman took over because the starter at first base the next 12 months, ending second in NL Rookie of the 12 months balloting to Braves teammate Craig Kimbrel after hitting .282 with 21 homers and 76 RBIs.

Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman rounds second base as he will get a triple throughout the fourth inning of a baseball recreation in opposition to the Miami Marlins, Wednesday, Aug. 18, 2021, in Miami. (Related Press)

Since then, Freeman had been a stalwart within the Braves lineup, even because the perennial playoff contender went by way of a painful rebuilding job after successful the NL East title in 2013.

Freeman endured 4 straight shedding seasons whereas Atlanta rebuilt its depleted farm system, however the workforce made clear he was the centerpiece of its overhaul by signing him to a $135 million, eight-year contract that was the longest and largest in franchise historical past.

In 2018, with Freeman surrounded by a brand new group of budding younger stars reminiscent of Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies, the Braves climbed again to the highest of the NL East to start a brand new run of divisional dominance.

Freeman gained his MVP award within the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, hitting .341 with 13 homers and 53 RBIs in 60 video games — a outstanding efficiency after he endured a bout with COVID-19 that left him worrying whether or not he would survive.

Atlanta gained a postseason sequence for the primary time since 2001 — two of them, in reality — earlier than squandering a 3-1 lead and shedding to the Dodgers within the NL Championship Sequence.

Bouncing again from that disappointment, the Braves gained their fourth straight division title in 2021 and went on to seize their first World Sequence championship in 26 years by beating the Houston Astros.

Atlanta Braves’ Freddie Freeman appears to be like over his shoulder as he enters the batting cage throughout a baseball exercise in St. Louis, Oct. 5, 2019. (Related Press)

Freeman had one other stellar season, main the league in plate appearances (695) and runs (120) whereas batting .300 with 31 homers and 83 RBIs. Appropriately sufficient, he caught the ultimate out of the World Sequence on a throw from shortstop Dansby Swanson.

Because the Braves celebrated their championship at Minute Maid Park, Freeman made it clear he wished to remain in Atlanta.

“This can be a loopy recreation, a loopy enterprise,” he mentioned. “However everybody is aware of that is the place my coronary heart is.

“I’ve been right here since I used to be 17 years previous, nearly half my life I’ve been on this group,” he went on. “It means all the things to place that Braves uniform on on daily basis.”

Now, he’ll be placing on Dodger blue.

AP Sports activities Author Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report.