I’ve long stated 3/90 with an option is what I would pay for a 1B in his 30s.
However, I lack a lot of context and data AA has access to. Maybe they have analysis that shows he won’t age like a typical 1B. Maybe they have data that shows he benefits the club financially in some unique way. Maybe they know payroll will be $200M 3 years from now, so there’s plenty of room to overpay a declining 1B in the future.
We’ve all seen the data about aging guys at 1B, but the best chance to win for the next 2-3 years may very well be tied to the fact that it will hamper the chances to win in 2025 and beyond. If the plan is to take on a mini rebuild after Fried and Morton are gone anyways, maybe paying Freeman huge money in the last couple years of his deal while the team rebuilds isn’t so bad.