The uncertainty on where he’d play baseball this season was truly tough to go through for new Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman.
The Los Angeles Dodgers shocked the baseball world when they signed Freddie Freeman, somehow making their lineup even more dangerous. Freeman, who had been sensational for the Atlanta Braves, is happy to be a Dodger.
However, that doesn’t mean his free agency process wasn’t stressful. Matter of fact, Freeman revealed to the Los Angeles Times that it was filled with plenty of anxiety, as he really had no idea where he’d be suiting up. Then when Atlanta traded for Matt Olson, he was blindsided.
“To be honest, I was blindsided,” Freeman said, per the Los Angeles Times.
The rest of the night was an emotional roller coaster. Alma, Freeman’s stepmom, and Chelsea, his wife, cried. Freeman said that, for a couple hours, he could hardly speak. His father tried to grapple with the news, too, coming to grips with the fact his son would no longer play for the Braves.
“I really thought he was going to be there the rest of his career,” Fred (Freddie’s dad) said. “They weren’t talking, but it was still a shock.”
Freddie Freeman had no idea how his free agency was going to play out
This has got to be devastating for Braves fans to see. So many people in Atlanta remain heartbroken that Freeman won’t be back with the reigning World Series champs next season, as he’s meant so much to the city.
Unfortunately, the two sides couldn’t get on the same page with contract talks and the Dodgers went out of their way to make Freeman happy. Freeman’s dad himself told the LA Times he was blown away with how big of a priority the club made Freeman, while adding they communicated everything clearly each step of the way.
With Freeman being from the area, this is a homecoming for the star slugger and his family as a whole couldn’t be happier about the move. Freeman will always be loved by Atlanta fans and that will never change.
Moving forward, though, they’re going to have to get used to watching Freeman send balls to the moon while sporting an LA jersey. Again, this process wasn’t easy for Freeman, but he’s no doubt relieved to have it in the past. Now, he can look forward to trying to help the Dodgers win it all soon.