NEW YORK, NY – JULY 26: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves in the dugout against the New York Mets during game two of a doubleheader at Citi Field on July 26, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Adam Hunger/Getty Images)
It remains unclear where Freddie Freeman will end up, but one thing is clear: there are no worse places for Braves fans to see him than these 3 teams.
Although Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman rejected the Braves’ initial extension offer of five years for $135 million, it doesn’t mean that he rejected the prospect of returning to Atlanta.
Freeman is reportedly looking for a six-year deal, and that’s something he could find if he remains home with the Braves.
But, technically speaking, Freeman’s free agent door remains open to other deals, meaning that some another team could swoop in and steal him away from Atlanta.
Freeman’s departure would be the greatest offseason loss the Braves could undergo, and the loss could be compounded by the specific choice he makes. There are a few franchises that would spurn the Braves by signing Freeman, and there are a few fandoms that would become insufferable to Braves fans if they emerged from the offseason with the No. 1 first baseman on the market.
Here are three teams that would be the absolute worst place for Freeman to sign (for Braves fans, that is).
3. New York Mets
The New York Mets aren’t a legitimate threat, but they are a longtime NL East divisional rival. If anything, the Mets’ 77-85 season made it possible for the 88-73 Braves to advance all the way to the World Series, but it doesn’t change the fact that Freeman to New York’s NL team would sting.
Facing Freeman home runs as a Braves player and competition with his team for the division title would be an odious obstacle to face routinely through the next six years.
The good news is that the Mets already have a first baseman in Pete Alonso, but with the designated hitter distinction coming to the NL after this year’s CBA negotiations, Freeman would give the Mets a distinct advantage with the new position.
The Mets can’t even find a manager, so what are the chances they’ll land Freeman? Slim to none. But there is that narrow chance that the Mets could repeat history the way they stole Braves pitcher Tom Glavine decades ago.
The thought alone is enough to haunt Braves fans.