Whenever the MLB lockout ends, one of the biggest dominos left to fall is where five-time All-Star and 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman will land.
For a long time it was assumed that Freeman would return to the Braves, as he was a major piece of their 2021 World Series championship team. Recently, though, there’s been talk that Freeman won’t be returning to Atlanta.
And while teams like the Yankees have had their eye on the first baseman, there’s now reportedly a new suitor in the mix: the Mets.
ESPN’s Buster Olney was a guest on The Michael Kay Show on Thursday afternoon, and when he was asked about some of the things he’s anticipating once the lockout ends, he threw out some new info that the Mets were linked to Freeman prior to the lockout beginning in December.
“This was the most interesting thing that I heard. There’s a perception in the industry that Freddie Freeman is not going back to the Braves,” Olney explained. “Last summer, that was assumed, like ‘Yeah, eventually he’ll go back there.’ Now, they don’t believe that, and here’s an interesting thing. One of the teams that checked in on the Freddie Freeman availability before December 2nd were the Mets.
“And it’s very interesting because you just talked about Steve Cohen saying ‘You know what, I don’t care what the CBT is, unlike the Red Sox, Yankees, and Dodgers, I’m just going to spend what I need to spend in order to win.’ And if he blows past $300 million it doesn’t matter at this point.
“Freddie Freeman on that team, wow.”
Cohen has proven this offseason that he is indeed willing to spend, signing Max Scherzer, Starling Marte, Mark Canha, and Eduardo Escobar.
Freeman joining the Mets would not only add a huge bat and defensive piece to the lineup, but it would also take away a division rival’s biggest asset.
But what about Pete Alonso at first base? Olney says that with the DH coming to the NL next season, it makes sense for Freeman to take over as the full-time man at first.
“Pete Alonso, I know believes he’s a first baseman, but you talk to evaluators or the team, they feel like he may be better suited at DH,” Olney explained. “If you’re the Mets and you want to upgrade in two different ways, that would be one way to go. Because that would be one player I’m sure Pete would go ‘Well, if you’re getting Freddie Freeman, then I’ll do what you need to do.’ But that would be a significant change.”
Freeman’s credentials speak for themselves. A five-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, a Gold Glove winner and a former MVP, Freeman has a career slash line of .295/.384/.509 with 271 homers and 941 RBI.
The Mets’ actual level of interest is a mystery at this point, but one thing is for sure: once the lockout ends, there will be a flurry of moves around the league, and it’s hard to imagine Cohen and the Mets not being involved.