Ronald Acuna Jr.’s season-ending ACL tear has cast a shadow over what was already a difficult season for the Braves. Though Atlanta is still only four games behind the Mets for first place in the NL East and seven games out of an NL wild card slot, the Braves have only a 44-45 record. Getting on track before the trade deadline won’t be easy, as the Braves have 16 games (against the Rays, Padres, Phillies, and Mets) in the 15 days between now and July 30.
A couple of tough weeks could ultimately make Atlanta more inclined to sell rather than buy at the trade deadline. Even if the team does decide to sell, however, “Freddie Freeman isn’t going anywhere,” MLB Network’s Jon Heyman writes. On paper, Freeman is a potentially tantalizing trade chip considering both his ability and the fact that 2021 is the last year of his contract, but Heyman reports that both sides want to keep their relationship going without any interruption.
Freeman, of course, has control over his future in the form of 10-and-5 rights — the full no-trade protection granted to players who have 10 years of MLB service time and at least five years with one team. If Freeman isn’t open to a trade, there isn’t anything the Braves can do, though it doesn’t appear as though the club has any interest in moving him anyway.
It had long been assumed that the two parties would work out a contract extension to keep Freeman in Atlanta well beyond the 2021 season, though whatever extension talks took place prior to Opening Day didn’t seem to result in much progress. That created some speculation about whether or not Freeman would remain with the Braves, or if the team had concerns about committing a hefty long-term salary to a first base-only player who turns 32 in September.
Just a season removed from NL MVP honors, it certainly doesn’t appear as if Freeman is slowing down. After a bit of an average start (by his standards) to the 2021 campaign, Freeman is now hitting .274/.381/.489 with 19 homers over a league-best 388 plate appearances. Freeman’s .410 xwOBA is well above his actual .371 wOBA, so if anything, he projects to deliver even more offensive production in the second half.
A scenario exists where the Braves could trade Freeman to a contender at the deadline, with a quiet handshake agreement in place for Freeman to re-sign with Atlanta as a free agent this winter. Those types of situations are pretty rare, however, and it would be a risk for the Braves on a couple of levels. For one, Freeman has never played anywhere outside of the Braves organization, and experiencing what another team has to offer could make him more open to signing elsewhere. Secondly, keeping Freeman would allow the Braves to issue him a qualifying offer after the season, so Atlanta could recoup a compensatory draft pick if he did sign with another team.
If they don’t plan to extend him before the season is over, and we are out of it by the trade deadline, it’s pure malpractice to the organization to not trade him! Only exception is he is telling them not to trade him and he will resign. That’s it… and even then, that’s risky
I’m guessing they have full intention of signing him long term since they are trading him.
I wish it was easy to assume, but he’s an elite player that’s just a few months away from hitting the open market. Braves aren’t exactly known for spending big money. It should have happened a long time ago, so each day that goes by makes me more concerned.
Freddie would have to approve any trade. 10/5 rights.
100% True. Trade who you can to build up the future. Hope they resign in the offseason. Braves owe freeman big $ after the initial team friendly deal he signed. .
Does he value a chance to win a ring with another team worth the hassle of leaving or uprooting his family for 2 months? Or does he want to be a life time brave and stay in his nice comfy home? And or could another team or braves bribe him with enough money to approve being traded? Anything is possible but seems to me he has no interest of going anywhere this year at least.
I may be wrong about this, but I think Freddie’s home is in California (although I’m sure he owns something in Atlanta for home games). I truly believe Freddie stays a Brave for his entire career, but uprooting his family will not be a factor since they live in Cali.
His home is in Roswell, a suburb north of ATL.
Poor guy will never wear a ring
He could join the Mets next year when they try to go back to back?
Haha, Mets aren’t going to win it all, but keep dreaming
Lol
The Mets lol
Mets are brutal… I know this cause the Braves have been playing with a roster half full of bad teams trash most of the season and are still in the NL East race with the Mets. A good Mets team should run away with this division, but unfortunately… they are no good …
“He could join the Mets next year when they try to go back to back?”
@ MetsFan;
Sounds good!
Do you think Freeman or Alonzo will move to CF in 2022?
When do you get out of Middle School?
LMAO…….I mean Degrom is the best pitcher alive…..but the Mets will get ate up in the playoffs by the teams in the West.
Where would he play on the Mets? Unless there is a DH next year. Alonso is gonna play first. Freeman tried playing third for a few games a few years back but it seems he doesn’t want to do that again.
Where would he play on the Mets? Unless there is a DH next year. Alonso is gonna play first. Freeman tried playing third for a few games a few years back but it seems he doesn’t want to do that again.
As a Braves fan, this town would burn if they traded Freddie. Morton-absolutely. Dansby even. But number 5 can’t leave ATL any time soon.
I mean, trading him doesn’t bother me. Cause it doesn’t appear we are resigning him. So what’s the difference? Trade him, reset the farm a little and move on. Even if you trade him with this waste of a season (regardless of getting Joc), we can still resign him in the office season. If I’m Freddie, I’m walking to AA’s door, telling them to trade him for legit prospect, and resign him after the year. No different than Freddie playing 3rd to get Matt Adams in the lineup a couple years ago
Everyone here seems to not understand. Freddie Freeman has 5 and 10 rights. Therefore the Braves cannot trade him unless he agrees to it and I just don’t see that happening. So get off the they have to trade him if they can’t resign him bandwagon. They cannot trade him without his permission.
It’s very understood. It’s just not as big of a deal as brave fans wish it was
“They don’t plan to” is very different from “they won’t”
Terrible move. Could easily resign in the offseason if he really loves Atlanta, and he’d get to play with get the massive haul he’d bring in. Could get a ring this year if he goes to the Dodgers, and another next year on the Braves. Braves aren’t winning with this roster, come on. No pitching and no Acuna = sell mode.
Moron front office move here. If you love Freeman so much sign his extension now. Cheapskate team already underpaid Albies and Acuna now penny pinching around Freddie. They all deserve more money and to be treated better by the front office goons and owners at the top.
Massive haul for a half season rental? Lol man, some people on here have absolutely 0 idea about trade value.
Freeman come to NY. Yankees on line one this winter.
To finish 3rd or 4th in the AL East? I highly doubt Freeman agrees to that.
He would bring in a massive haul for a rental. It’s all relative. Like for the right team, he would likely bring in a top 100 prospect and maybe an additional top 30 organizational prospect. Worse case, two high rank top 30 prospects. For a rental, that’s big. Not Tex big, but legit enough.
Most players won’t sign extensions during the season
The Braves have pitching. Clearly you don’t watch the team.
Ehhhhhhhhhhh I don’t watch the team but you think this staff/pen can hold up?
Yeah the starters have been pretty good overall and especially lately. The back end of the Pen is where we need help. If the Braves survive this awful next two weeks on the schedule by somehow getting a winning record and add a few arms to the pen by the time the deadline is here, they might actually be able to salvage this season and overtake the Mets. I would really love to get Kris Bryant and shift Austin to Left Field too. Adding Bryant and Pederson to the lineup would make it a lot more formidable. If Dansby can continue his hot streak as of late, I like the outlook. It’s so hard to envision this lineup without Acuna until May/June of next year but that’s sports.
Shut up you fem! You call the Braves “cheap” when you root for a team with sewage in their clubhouse? Go suck on your Jonah Hill popsicle!
@ lolmuttsaregarbage778654:
Stay classy.
Ooh It better be pineapple flavor.
If the White Sox didn’t have Andrew Vaughn, I’d be all for them pursuing Freeman. If he could play 2nd or Right, I’d love to see him on the south side
Underpaying all stars makes a team a cheapskate? I guarantee you any team in baseball would love to have those guys on those contracts. Furthermore I’m willing to bet Acuna is quite glad he signed that contract about right now.
Bryce ball to Cubs is pretty much an extension for Freddie. And now we know the Braves are buyers
Meh… ur reading way to much into that… lol
He was a prospect being blocked by Freddie. Why trade him if you have no intention of resigning Freddie
He isn’t blocked cause he isn’t remotely ready and theirs real question if he’d ever make it pass the lvl he’s currently in. Ball is 23 and batting .203 in A ball at the moment. Even if Freddie leaves, there nothing to suggest that ball would have been promoted out of A ball, much less to the MLB. He’s prob 2-3 years away from potentially being blocked by anyone… plus he can’t field at all. DH is his only shot… so Freddie again wouldn’t block him there
You guys really should read the articles first. Freeman is a 10/5 guy.
This reminds me of the Chapman for Torres trade.
Yanks were out of it and traded Chapman for a top prospect only resign him in the offseason.
The biggest difference is is that Freeman is a lifelong Brave and seems to be committed to the team.
Anyone who thinks Freddie is ever gonna wear any other uniform is a fool, period.
He should be a Brave for life! All of the they should trade him and rebuild or re-sign him takes are ridiculous.
Ed Mathews, Joe Torre., Phil Niekro, Andrew Jones, Rico Carty, Dale Murphy Warren Spahn, Lou Burdette., Darrell Evans….it happens.
Freeman doesn’t want to leave. His family wants to stay. Again, anyone who thinks he’s ever leaving is a fool.
Do you really expect him to say “I can’t wait to leave ATL” while under contract..?
Of course he’s gonna say he wants to stay there for life. But he’s a viable back to back MVP candidate and the Braves are not a team that spends big… writing is on the wall
He is to old for new paper beyond 3 years.
Trade Freeman and kiss any chance at winning the division goodbye.
He ain’t going ANYWHERE. They will get it done.
And he shouldn’t ever be traded. He needs to be a Brave for life.
Completely agree with Baggins, He needs to pass the torch to the next guy up like chipper did to him.
With freeman having a down year, acuna getting injured, the Braves May get lucky and get freeman to re sign on a discount
LOL he started slow, but to say he’s having a down year is insane. he’s been on fire since the first month of the season. he’s back to what he’s always been.
Frederick is gonna get minimum 105mil for 5 years. Maybe 4 years and a 5th year option and an buyout for 5mil. Maybe incentives where the 5th year automatically kicks in depending on performance.
You’re actually low I believe. He should get at least what Wainright got, don’t you think? At a minimum of 25 mil per, a 5 year deal should come to 125 mil and that’s the minimum IMO.
They should! They’d get some teams entire farm system!
Can someone show me the reporters and confirmed “handshake” scenarios over the past x years. I highly doubt such a thing exists
I have an idea for more articles – “Nationals have no plans to trade Juan Soto “… “Angels have no plans to trade Mike Trout”……or, keeping with the potential free agent theme – “Sox have no plans to trade Lance Lynn…or Carlos Rodon”..
Didn’t realize Trout and Soto were about to be free agents…
Oh yea, they have nothing to do with Freeman!