The wealthy acquired significantly richer on Wednesday when first baseman Freddie Freeman, a former league Most worthy participant who led Atlanta to its surprising World Collection title final season, agreed to signal together with his hometown Los Angeles Dodgers.
Freeman, 32, will obtain $162 million over six years in a deal that was confirmed by an individual aware of the negotiations who was not licensed to debate it publicly as a result of it had not been finalized.
When the low season began, it appeared like a return to Atlanta was a foregone conclusion for Freeman, a second-round draft choose of the staff in 2007 who got here up by way of its minor league system. He had been the staff’s face and chief, by way of thick and skinny, since turning into an on a regular basis participant in 2011. His residence run within the Collection-clinching Recreation 6 served as an exclamation level on his tenure in Atlanta. In 12 seasons, he hit .295 with a .384 on-base proportion, 271 residence runs and 941 runs batted in.
Born in Villa Park, Calif., and a product of El Modena Excessive Faculty in Orange, Freeman will take over at first base for the Dodgers. His arrival will most probably shift Max Muncy to second base and permit Trea Turner, who closed the season as a second baseman, to maneuver to shortstop instead of Corey Seager, who departed as a free agent.
In 2021, the Dodgers received 106 video games, second most within the majors, however finally misplaced to Freeman and Atlanta within the Nationwide League Championship Collection. Freeman homered twice in that sequence and completed the postseason with a .304 common, 5 residence runs and 11 R.B.I.
Atlanta had tried to barter a deal to maintain Freeman. However the staff had moved on earlier than this signing, buying and selling for Matt Olson, previously of the Oakland Athletics, to an eight-year, $168 million extension. Like Freeman, Olson, who grew up in suburban Atlanta, joined his hometown staff.
Tyler Kepner contributed reporting.
