Dodgers Bring Freddie Freeman Home With Six-Year, $162 Million Deal
Rise and shine, Mr. Freeman.
Longtime Atlanta Braves first baseman and 2020 NL MVP Freddie Freeman is headed to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
MLB Network's Jon Morosi first broke the news Wednesday night as negotiations between the Dodgers and Freeman culminated in an agreement
The top name on plenty of teams' free-agency boards, before and after the grueling lockout period, Freeman remained the topic of tense discussion, amid speculation as to where the 32-year-old was headed this offseason.
Players in the race for Freeman included the Dodgers, Braves, Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and others.
Atlanta was often seen as the eventual outcome in any coin-flip between the Braves and the Dodgers.
The Braves signed Oakland Athletics first baseman Matt Olson to an eight-year, $163 million contract on Tuesday — tipping the scales in favor of the Dodgers to land Freeman.
Tampa Bay remained in the rumor mill leading up to Wednesday after they reportedly pitched a considerable offer.
Freeman's deal with Los Angeles is reportedly set at six years, $162 million, according to Morosi.
Since March 11, reports indicated that a decision was imminent, with Los Angeles as a constant mention throughout developments.
The Fountain Valley product heads back to his roots after building a legacy in Atlanta for the past 12 seasons.
Walking away after helping the Braves win their first championship in 26 years, Freeman ends his storied tenure with Atlanta in the highest regard possible.
Last season, Freeman batted .300 and tallied 180 hits, 83 RBIs, 31 HRs.
Arriving at the doorstep of a World Series appearance last season were the Los Angeles Dodgers — defeated by the Braves in a six-game series.
With a great deal of versatility embedded in LA's roster welcoming Freeman — including Mookie Betts, Chris Taylor, Gavin Lux and Max Muncy — the Dodgers must now adopt a World Series attitude as they build upon last year's NLCS exit.
Follow along on Twitter: @AlejandroAveela