"I hope we have Freddie Freeman, but I don’t know what’s going to happen" - When Braves manager was worried about losing star to Dodgers
Ahead of the 2022 season, Freddie Freeman's contract with the Atlanta Braves came to an end. At that point, he had been with the club for the entirety of his 12-year career, but now he would be a free agent.
Freeman was one of the best first basemen on the open market that year. He was coming off an All-Star year with the Braves where he hit .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runs and 83 runs batted in. He also was vital in the postseason, helping his club take down the Houston Astros in the World Series.
With his All-Star slugger headed to free agency, Brian Snitker was not too thrilled. He did not want to lose somebody who meant so much to the club, making his comments clear, via The Athletic's Jeff Schultz.
"Right now, I know we can't sign [Freeman]. I might feel (worse) if it was a normal offseason. So we'll see. I hope we have him, but i don;t know what's going to happen. re guys are going to end up," said Snitker.
Snitker knew the club did not have a high chance of re-signing Freeman. He was the best free agent in his position and was looking to secure a big-time paycheck for his increased talent over the years.
"Do I want Freddie back? Absolutely. Why wouldn't I? But it may not happen. It's the way business is. But I'm not freaking out about it right now. Last year, we lost Player A, and we kept going. We lost player B, C, D, E, F, and we just keep going. It's what we do" said Snitker.
Braves miss out after Freddie Freeman reaches a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Freddie Freeman reportedly wanted to return to Atlanta and continue to play for the Braves. It was a team he had made his career with and he grew up in front of that fanbase.
However, the front office was not too keen on re-signing him. They did not make the greatest effort while other teams put their best foot forward and tried to make a good first impression.
At the end of it all, the Los Angeles Dodgers came out on top. They offered Freeman a six-year $162 million contract that he could not refuse and helped L.A. win their eighth World Series title this past season.