What Would A "Fair" Freeman Extension Look Like?

In 2022, the only real big contracts the Braves have are Acuna at 15 mil, Ozzie at 5, Will Smith at 13, and Ender at 9 (i'm assuming he's traded by then if Waters and Pache are the goods). Braves could afford to splurge on Freddie but i think it's gonna come down to years vs money per year. Given how analytically involved AA is, i cant see him going to 5 years for FF.

There's also not many FA replacements either, every other 1B FA is 30+. Braves have drafted a couple 1B to try and develop down the line the past few years.
 
Seems like as good a time as any to circle back around to this.

Assuming Freddie would take something below market-value but wants the 5 years to match the Goldschmidt deal, wouldn't now be a pretty good time to tear up the final year of the current deal and give him 5 years/$105 million with the final 2 years as mutual or team options ($25 million in 2021, $20 million for each of the other 4 seasons)?

He gets a slight bonus/raise for winning the MVP, and that would allow him to remain a Brave for his entire career unless he somehow decides he wants to play beyond that. Starting a deal like that now rather than after this season means you're still not committing to anyone beyond their age 35 season, he pockets a couple million as recognition (or a "thank you") for winning the MVP, gets $65 million in guaranteed new money, and AA and ownership get to look really good to the fans.

Something like that would potentially allow AA to offer Ozuna a high-AAV (say $20 million per) 3 year deal. That would pave the way for Freddie to DH during those option years, clearing 1B for Ball, Backstrom, or someone else.
 
Would love to see something done with this soon. Really don't want to go into the season with this hanging over the organization. Was expecting it would, and that's still my expectation, prior to spring training.
 
How does this proposal compare to Chipper's team friendly deal? I can see Freddie around for a long long time as the Braves premier DH.
 
Chipper signed a series of short term extensions that kept him near the top of the AAV rankings. That is certainly preferred over some 5 year potential albatross like Goldy signed. Of course, Freeman has to be willing to play ball for that strategy to work.
 
Heyward said:
In 2022, the only real big contracts the Braves have are Acuna at 15 mil, Ozzie at 5, Will Smith at 13, and Ender at 9 (i'm assuming he's traded by then if Waters and Pache are the goods). Braves could afford to splurge on Freddie but i think it's gonna come down to years vs money per year. Given how analytically involved AA is, i cant see him going to 5 years for FF.

There's also not many FA replacements either, every other 1B FA is 30+. Braves have drafted a couple 1B to try and develop down the line the past few years.
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Ender is an option right? If so, no way it is picked up.

Fried, Soroka and Swanson need contracts as well. Swanson would be playing out his last season in 2022 and Fried and Soroka would be up in 2023.
 
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I wanna see if Bryce Ball gets invited to spring training again this year. I can visualize a scene where Ball and Freddie share 1B and DH for a few years coming.
 
Carp said:
Another attempt at supplanting Freddie at 1b. I think HorsehideHarry has a secondary account.
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LOL Hardly the case here. However, I did find it interesting that Ball was invited to spring training so early in his career. It has been mentioned numerous times that his bat has huge potential. I also see Freddie as a Brave possibly as long as Chipper was.
 
OcalaBrave said:
Ender is an option right? If so, no way it is picked up.

Fried, Soroka and Swanson need contracts as well. Swanson would be playing out his last season in 2022 and Fried and Soroka would be up in 2023.
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Fried/Soroka have 3 years of control after this year, Swanson has 1. We have time on our side with Fried and Soroka. With the loaded SS upcoming FA class, i'm interested what AA does with Swanson.
 
Heyward said:
Fried/Soroka have 3 years of control after this year, Swanson has 1. We have time on our side with Fried and Soroka. With the loaded SS upcoming FA class, i'm interested what AA does with Swanson.
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I'd be interested to see someone do an analysis of what our window of contention is looking like, with the assumption we sign Freeman to the type of extension we are expecting.

We seem to be in great shape at least for the next four years when we will have Freeman (assuming), Albies, Acuna, Soroka, Fried and Anderson as our core. Swanson is here for two of those. Riley we have for another 5. But some of that core is going to begin getting expensive over the next few years as well.
 
Biggest obstacle I see is that we will never have the info on budget that would enable us fans to make those projections. It is all guess but if we can assume a budget comprised of $150M in todays dollars it would be a bit more relative. I wonder how scared/apprehensive AA is regarding the Mets and Padres as of today knowing that everything can change with a blockbuster on his part. One would think that given the results of last years playoff exit by a mere 2 runs and the ultimate WS winner that he would be ready to go for all the marbles.

Anyone can see the vacancies and relative dollar costs and guess as to what is coming.
 
The Braves window pretty much extends through the Soroka control years right now. At that point AA will have to make the tough decision between dealing the last years of control over Acuna and Albies for a rebuild, or pushing whatever chips remain to extend the window to the end of their control years.

Soroka is the only current impact player young enough that an extension makes sense, so if AA can get him locked up for an additional 1-2 FA years he can likely extend the contention window another couple years. Getting Freeman on board to take a series of 2-3 year extensions will also help stretch that window out to the end of the Acuna/Albies era.

After that we will have enjoyed nearly a decade of Braves contention, and a rebuild is likely in store. Of course, finding another Acuna changes that, but it’s certainly not something to bank on.
 
Enscheff said:
The Braves window pretty much extends through the Soroka control years right now. At that point AA will have to make the tough decision between dealing the last years of control over Acuna and Albies for a rebuild, or pushing whatever chips remain to extend the window to the end of their control years.

Soroka is the only current impact player young enough that an extension makes sense, so if AA can get him locked up for an additional 1-2 FA years he can likely extend the contention window another couple years. Getting Freeman on board to take a series of 2-3 year extensions will also help stretch that window out to the end of the Acuna/Albies era.

After that we will have enjoyed nearly a decade of Braves contention, and a rebuild is likely in store. Of course, finding another Acuna changes that, but it’s certainly not something to bank on.
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Thanks, that sums it up well
 
Enscheff said:
The Braves window pretty much extends through the Soroka control years right now. At that point AA will have to make the tough decision between dealing the last years of control over Acuna and Albies for a rebuild, or pushing whatever chips remain to extend the window to the end of their control years.

Soroka is the only current impact player young enough that an extension makes sense, so if AA can get him locked up for an additional 1-2 FA years he can likely extend the contention window another couple years. Getting Freeman on board to take a series of 2-3 year extensions will also help stretch that window out to the end of the Acuna/Albies era.

After that we will have enjoyed nearly a decade of Braves contention, and a rebuild is likely in store. Of course, finding another Acuna changes that, but it’s certainly not something to bank on.
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Whether to press on with contention or not will have to depend on how well the Braves draft and develop.
 
Southcack77 said:
Whether to press on with contention or not will have to depend on how well the Braves draft and develop.
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Yep. Be interested to see what AA's drafting strategy will be next few years when the international penalties are gone and we can actually spend money on IFA's.
 
The Chosen One said:
Wasn't Dayton Moore the scout who signed Wilson at the time years ago?
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Doubtful. Looking Paul Synder and Rene Francisco were the only people actually fined for the Betemit issue so I suspect it was Francisco that signed him since he was an international scout at the time.

But Dayton did sign him to play for the Royals back in 2010 and Rene Francisco is currently an Assistant GM for the Royals so they had an inside track for sure.
 
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