New deal for Freeman top priority for Series champion Braves
AT:ANTA - A celebration 26 years in the making was still going strong when a jarring dose of reality hit the Braves.
Has Freddie Freeman, the face of the franchise for the past decade, played his last game in an Atlanta uniform?
"Did I think I’d be sitting here with no contract? No I didn’t," Freeman said after stopping by the Fox set during the postgame celebration in Houston, not long after catching a throw to first for the final out. "This is a crazy game, a crazy business. But everyone knows where my heart is. And that’s the Atlanta Braves."
Freeman’s future is the most pressing offseason issue facing the Braves, who capped an improbable run to their first World Series title since 1995 with a 7-0 rout of the Houston Astros in Game 6 on Tuesday night.
It’s hard to envision the Braves defending the title they worked so hard to achieve without No. 5 at first base.
The Braves had hoped to lock up the 32-year-old Freeman to a long-term deal before they got to the end of the season, but the two sides have yet to agree on terms.
"I’ve been here since I was 17 years old. Almost half my life, I’ve been in this organization," Freeman said. "It means everything to put on that Braves uniform every day. So hopefully I can continue to do that."
Chelsea Freeman on her husband being a World Series champion
Chelsea Freeman said Freddie has wanted to be win a World Series with the Braves for as long as she can remembers. She said they have stuck it out through some tough times with the team, but this seems to vindicate those challenging times.
Freeman’s uncertain status left the city with a bit of dread, even as it prepared for a Friday parade to toast Atlanta’s second championship in the four major American sports.
If Freeman re-signs. the Braves should be the favorites for a fifth straight NL East title and one of the top contenders for another Series championship.
Their most dynamic player, outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr., is expected to be fully recovered at some point during the first half of the 2022 season after going down in July with a season-ending knee injury.
Slugger Marcell Ozuna, who also missed most of the season after breaking his hand and then being arrested for allegedly attacking his wife during a domestic dispute, could return as well — most likely as a designated hitter if that rule, as expected, is adopted by both leagues.
Beyond Freeman, the rest of Atlanta’s dynamic infield — Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley and Dansby Swanson — is all locked up for next season. So are the top three starting pitchers — Charlie Morton, Max Fried and Ian Anderson — as well as the key figures in a bullpen that dominated the postseason: closer Will Smith and set-up men Tyler Matzek, A.J. Minter and Luke Jackson. Travis d’Arnaud will be back to catch them.
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