Just can't possibly see Freddie being dealt at this point. The problem with dealing Freeman is that this is the last season you have him for below market value ($12 million) - he makes $20+ per starting in 2017. JMO, but the only team that appears to be a 1B away from being a contender is Pittsburgh, and they're not able to pay what he's owed after this season. Someone would absolutely have to "sell out" and overpay to get him (much like Simmons), and I don't see anyone that will. The Pirates NEED a 1B, but they're not going to deal what it would take to get him and then try to turn around and trade him next winter to replace some of those prospects when everyone else knows they have to move him.
Don't get me wrong - Freddie would be great for a lot of teams, but not likely any of them that he fits as that final puzzle piece, The problem with Pittsburgh is the contract. The problem with Cleveland is that he's probably not enough - by himself - to push them past the Royals or Tigers. I'm sure Baltimore would love to have him replace Davis, but I don't think they have the pieces to get him (Jomar Reyes and Chance Sisco would have to be part of the package I'd guess) - even if they did, why unload the farm AND pay Freeman $118.5 million (what's left on his contract) when they could just re-sign Davis? Dodgers, Yankees, Cubs, Angels, White Sox, Marlins, Gnats, Mutts, Giants, Reds, Cardinals, Phillies, Diamondbacks, A's, Rangers, and Rockies are all likely "no's" - and Milwaukee, Seattle, and San Diego likely don't have what it would take to get him.
The Red Sox COULD be a "maybe" IMO, but I doubt Dombrowski would give up what Coppy & Co. would want - probably Devers and Margot and possibly more. An interesting proposal for them might be Miller or Teheran and Freeman for Jackie Bradey, Devers, Margot, Anderson Espinoza, and Sam Travis. That's a deal I don't think the Braves could possibly say no to, but is so far out there it's scary to imagine (as well as one that could get Dombrowski chased out of town in a hurry). They have enough money that they might be able to buy down a little bit of Hanley's contract and pawn him off on someone else for a prospect or two like the Dodgers did with Kemp, and could still go out and get one of the "Aces" and be right back in the mix in a hurry.
2016 Red Sox
CF- Betts, 2B- Pedroia, 1B- Freeman, DH- Ortiz, SS- Bogaerts, 3B- Sandoval, C- Swihart, RF- Holt (with Moncada and Benintendi coming), LF- Castillo
Rotation: "Ace", Teheran, Porcello, Miley, Eduardo Rodriguez (with Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Steven Wright, and Joe Kelly for depth).
Again, just daydreaming, but that sure would be a *ell of an exclamation point on the rebuild. Our organizational depth chart would be ridiculous when looking at it a year from now with ALL of the long-term commitments (of any consequence) off the books unless you sign Miller to an extension...
SPs - Miller (or Teheran), Minor (if kept and healthy), Wisler, Folty, Banuelos, Williams Perez, Weber, Jenkins, Sims, Gant, Thurman, Allard, Toussaint, Fried, Espinoza, Sanchez, Soroka, Minter
C- Bethancourt, Herbert, Jonathon Morales
1B- Travis, Ruiz, Dustin Peterson, Riley, Juan Yepez, Jonathon Morales
2B- Peterson, Ciriaco, Albies, Dykstra
SS- Castro, Ciriaco, Albies,
3B- Olivera, Garcia, Ruiz, Devers, Riley
LF- Olivera, Garcia, Lien, Peterson, Riley, Ronald Acuna
CF- Bradley, Smith, Lien, Randy Ventura
RF- Markakis, Bradley, Lien, Davidson
and that's before going nuts on international signings this winter adding Maitan and others plus next year's #3 pick and others. You want the best farm system in baseball? You've got it.
