Hernández: Dodgers show Freddie Freeman the love that the Braves wouldn’t

Think about Clayton Kershaw making 30-plus begins in a season. Think about him changing into a free agent. Think about him desirous to return to the Dodgers.

Now, think about the Dodgers’ resolution makers failing to make him a aggressive supply. Think about them buying and selling for a youthful and cheaper pitcher as an alternative.

That’s principally what Alex Anthopoulos did with Freddie Freeman.

There’s a franchise extra ruthless than Andrew Friedman’s Dodgers and it’s Anthopoulos’ Atlanta Braves.

The Braves make the quantity crunchers within the Dodgers’ entrance workplace seem like baseball romantics by comparability, trade insiders questioning the sincerity of Anthopoulos’ tears after Matt Olson was acquired to exchange Freeman.

I’m actually curious: What was Anthopoulos fascinated about to coax out these faux tears?

The saga of Freeman’s free company is about greed and disloyalty, nevertheless it’s additionally a narrative about opportunism.

The beneficiaries of the Braves’ cynicism are the Dodgers, who agreed to a cope with Freeman on Wednesday, based on individuals accustomed to the scenario who spoke below the situation of anonymity as a result of the contract is pending a bodily examination.

The Braves and their overlords at Liberty Media refused to divert any of their $100-million revenue from final yr to their longtime mannequin worker and the Dodgers are actually the favorites to win their second World Collection in three seasons due to it.

Generally, it’s higher to be fortunate than good, and it is a prime instance, as top-of-the-line gamers within the recreation was served to the Dodgers on a platter on the proper place on the proper time.

A five-time All-Star, Freeman will step proper into the gaping gap created when Corey Seager signed with the Texas Rangers, serving as a left-handed-hitting risk in the course of the order.

The Dodgers don’t signal Freeman they usually must depend on Max Muncy, who’s recovering from an elbow harm that sidelined him within the postseason. They don’t signal Freeman they usually need to depend on the inconsistent Cody Bellinger to supply.

The Dodgers’ lineup would possibly now be much more potent than it was final yr, with Freeman arguably an improve from Seager.

Freeman batted .341 when he received the Nationwide League MVP award within the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

He’s a profession .295 hitter with 271 homers and 941 runs batted in to his title.

He’s hit 20 or extra house runs in eight separate seasons, together with a career-high 38 in 2019. He’s batted .305 during the last six seasons, a interval over which he has averaged 33 house runs and 103 RBIs for 162 video games.

On the very least, Freeman is extra sturdy than Seager was for the Dodgers, as he performed in all however 5 of the 546 regular-season video games the Braves performed during the last 4 seasons. Seager missed 139 video games over the identical interval.

Virtually as necessary is what Freeman affords the Dodgers from a cultural standpoint.

The group’s persona was formed during the last decade by Kershaw, a high-character participant with unimpeachable work habits. The Dodgers doubled down on that mannequin after they invested $365 million in outfielder Mookie Betts, one other lead-by-example celebrity.

This surroundings was endangered final yr when the Dodgers signed identified egomaniac Trevor Bauer.

By no means thoughts the authorized issues that sidelined Bauer final yr. He was a misogynistic web bully who as soon as hurled a ball over an outfield wall when faraway from a recreation.

Bauer’s willingness to simply accept an unorthodox contract supplied the Dodgers a short-term enhance with out compromising their long-term flexibility.

Nothing in life is free, nonetheless, as Bauer’s recklessness threatened the group’s fastidiously curated picture.

Which Freeman can restore.

Freeman is taken into account one of many recreation’s nice gents. He misplaced his mom when he was solely 10 and has a dignity shared by individuals made stronger by their grief.

He’s additionally a Southern California native and El Modena Excessive graduate.

There’s, nonetheless, a draw back.

Freeman is 32. His contract will seemingly turn into a monetary burden on the Dodgers earlier than it expires.

However the Dodgers can’t view the deal as a burden. They need to see it because the reward that it’s, and act accordingly.

They’ll’t use it as an excuse to not re-sign their very own homegrown stars. They need to re-sign Julio Urías when he turns into a free agent after the 2023 season and Walker Buehler after 2024.

They’ll’t be just like the Braves.