I'm not sure what you mean to be retorting or proving with that re-quote?
I don't see an implication that the FO thought the idea was "definitively bad", but went ahead anyways. I see an implication that the FO recognized that Matt Adams wasn't an 1.000-OPS player, but went ahead anyways—with the added implication that, perhaps, Freeman's personal enthusiasm for the idea stemmed from his not recognizing that Adams wasn't suddenly a 1.000-OPS player.
I like splitting hairs, but this horse isn't just dead, it's damn bald at this point.