Even though Freddie Freeman’s bat remains as dangerous as ever, it isn’t surprising that the veteran is starting to consider the potential end of his career as he enters his age-36 season, and his 17th season as a Major League player. Freeman isn’t planning to hang up his cleats any time soon, as he told MLB.com’s Sonja Chen and other reporters that he would like to play four more seasons, and then retire at age 40 while still playing for the Dodgers.
Freeman still has two years remaining on the six-year, $162MM free agent deal he signed with the Dodgers during the 2021-22 offseason. His desire to play through his 40th birthday would therefore require another contract following his current deal, and the future Hall-of-Famer isn’t worried about his status with his local team.
“I love being here. I’m from Southern California,” Freeman said. “I’ve had a great time with fans. You guys treat me great. Everyone’s treating my family good….I’m not worried about another contract, not going to bring it up, not going to talk about it. I got two years left. I’m just an employee. I just do my job, and if they want me back, they want me back. But I think Andrew [president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman] and everyone knows that I love being here.”
Freeman only plays first base and Shohei Ohtani is locked into the Dodgers’ DH spot, so having both positions occupied for four more years might present some roster-building difficulties down the road. Besides that minor issue, it is hard to imagine the Dodgers wouldn’t have interest in continuing their relationship with Freeman if he stays healthy and keeps hitting anywhere close to his current pace.
Since arriving in L.A., Freeman has hit .310./391/.516 with 96 home runs, with a 149 wRC+ that ranks fifth among all players since the start of the 2022 season. He has been an All-Star in all four of his Dodgers seasons, and Freeman has a pair of top-four finishes in NL MVP voting. In the postseason, Freeman’s resume includes the 2024 World Series MVP trophy, and a pair of iconic walkoff homers — his grand slam to end Game 1 of the 2024 Series, and his solo shot to end the 18-inning marathon that was Game 3 of the 2025 Series.
The 2025 championship capped off another successful year for Freeman, who hit .295/.367/.502 with 24 homers over 627 plate appearances. Freeman posted these numbers despite playing on a surgically-repaired ankle that was “never really in a good spot” all year.
This offseason was normal from a health perspective, however, and Freeman is looking forward to an even more productive 2026, from both a hitting and defensive perspective. Freeman’s goal is to play in all 162 games, though he acknowledges that the team will give him some rest days to keep him fresh for the playoffs.
During his 11-plus seasons as the Dodgers’ PBO, Friedman has been proactive in extending and/or re-signing several cornerstone players (i.e. Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Max Muncy, Will Smith), so a new deal for Freeman certainly seems plausible. This could take the form of an extension next year, or Freeman could even play out his current contract and enter free agency, still with the understanding that a new deal with the Dodgers would still happen once the team accesses other offseason business.
he wants to reach 3000 hits
and he’s alredy won 3 WS. wants to add some more jewelry
He should get that easily
Getting paid in 2026 less than Rendon, Cease, Glasnow and less than half of Tucker.
For three WS, Freeman has an OPS of 0.973. He could quit tomorrow and make the HOF.
Definitely a shoe-in for the HoF – if Im the Dodgers, Freddie Freeman gets a 2 year / 20M extension to cap it off. Take it or leave it Freddie my boy!
He should get to 3000 if he stays healthy enough. 33 HR per year to get to 500 probably doesn’t happen but would be cool.
He’s more of a 25 per year guy. He won’t make 500, but 450 is possible.
We just need a couple juiced ball years and he has a shot.
He’s such a stud. Out of the past 10 years the only time he hasn’t gotten MVP votes was a season that he played in 117 games and had a .989 OPS.
Easily one of the most likeable players in the game!
Age 36 season, At best he will get to 400 HR. His decline will show more and more. Dodgers would be foolish to renew his deal, and if they did they will do one year thanks for playing contract.
its a shame he has nice career .300 avg right now which I doubt he can keep that up.
Hopefully his new agent is listening this time.
Freddie is wiser now. He’ll tell the agent what to do rather than vice versa.
Better late never, I guess. Good for Dodgers. (smh)
Let me go kick the side of a building. No offense, Matt.
Who’s to say what will happen in four years but I’d be surprised if the Dodgers still had a spot for a 40 year old 1st baseman
Well that decision is 2 years away, not 4… but his age only matters if he starts to play like his age.
I wouldn’t be surprised, They like to re-up their vets.
“3000 hits”…Maybe. But Freddie’s a lock for the HOF. He’s an extremely well liked, elite hitter who checks all the boxes(career longevity, postseason production, awards, good citizenship etc..)for automatic HOF entry. It’s extremely hard to find anyone who has a negative word to say about FF, either on or off the field.
Ronald Acuña Jr. enters the chat…
Hold on, retire with the Dodgers or retire AS a Dodger??
If he goes into the hall wearing a Dodger hat on his plaque after spending 12 years in Atlanta, he will be a hated man🤣
Ridiculous. He still gets big ovations when he plays in Atlanta.
Even though my comment was a joke my statement is not ridiculous because there will be people that will turn on him if he goes in wearing a dodger hat. Does he deserve to be turned on absolutely not!!
@Sky
What is ridiculous is not your comment but that there is any large number of people being down on Freddie for anything. A great person as well as a great ballplayer.
Oh I agree I think it’s absolutely ridiculous if anybody hates on Freddie. He’s a class guy. As a Braves fan I would love for him to have an Atlanta hat on but I can’t blame him if his hat is Dodger blue in the hall
“Great person”..Freddie F has long been one of my favorite players. But, let’s not kid ourselves into thinking we really know what kind of person he is in real life.
The power of sports(and television) can make the good seem bad and the bad seem good. Obviously I’m not suggesting that Freddy Freeman is a bad person, but the fact is none of us really knows him personally.
@mlb fan
I don’t know Freddie Freeman personally.
I made my comment based on the universally positive comments his Dodger teammates make about him, his extraordinarily generous charitable donations and the interactions I have seen of Freddie with his kids, admittedly on videos.
He will have had more success in LA in less years. If he plays 2-4 more years in LA and wins even 1 more WS I think its pretty much a lock he’s going in as a Dodger. They have straight up treated him better than Atlanta ever did.
First of all my comment was a joke but Atlanta fans and the Atlanta community have treated him with so much respect. Him not resigning with Atlanta was the fault of his agent and himself not taking control of his free agency. However it worked out great for him playing in LA and it’s true he will have more success in LA than the 12 years in Atlanta.
@Nick: Not true. Atlanta treated him very well, until they didn’t.
Only World Series wins, not individually
Agreed that LA treated him better
@Skyrider: No he won’t.
Skyrider, It’s not his decision. He can make a request for one or the other, which the Hall will seriously take into account. But the smart thing would be for him to let the Hall decide, relieving him of any responsibility for any fan’s ill feelings..
Interesting. I learned something. Thanks Jean.
Has the hall ever not followed a player’s wish? If he has a preference he should make it known.
One example: Gary Carter wanted a Mets hat. The Hall decided on an Expo hat.
Oh man Gary got robbed! That is terrible.
I’m willing to bet Freddie will want to go in with a blank cap and I’m willing to bet the HOF will let him. There’ll be a strong enough argument for both sides by the time he retires.
And, some players from multiple teams get blank hats on their plaque: Gregg Maddux, Roy Halladay for example.
I didn’t know that was an option either very interesting thank you.
He will most likely go into the Hall with the team where he won the most World Series.
4 years/$100M (a relative bargain at that point in the salary bloating) or maybe even 4 years/$138M, get back a little of the money he left on the table with that Dodgers contract and make it a clean 10 years/$300M and defer $100M of it to be paid out starting the year after he retired for an additional 5 years, effectively playing as a bargain priced $9.5M per year veteran.
Granted he already has like $57M deferred off that last deal, but whatever.
He’s earned it. He’s been that good, that consistent.
With the salary cap and no deferrals, that won’t happen. 😁
I’m confident that any deferrals already in place will be grandfathered in to whatever limits they try to put in place.
They are talking two years from now so grandfather would go over the rainbow by then as far as Freddie.
@This one belongs to the Reds there won’t be a salary cap and teams will still use deferrals, you insufferable piece of work.
Varsho has gotta be out here staring blankly at a wall by now….
Guess he no longer misses the Braves?
He’s turned the page. I’m sure there’s a piece of him that regrets what happened, but his time in LA couldn’t have gone better.
He will go into the HOF wearing a Braves hat.
He probably read the article about Colorado needing a 1B and is working up leverage to demand a trade there.
LOL!
On a team with the best player in the sport, he’s their best pure hitter
Eff the dodgers. They deserve the worst luck they could possibly get.
It’s a great fit of player and team.