Written by Joe Lucia at Bloguin
If you thought the Atlanta Braves would have an uneventful winter following last week’s trade of shortstop Andrelton Simmons to the Angels, think again. While the Braves still look to improve their bullpen and add to their growing horde of young pitching, they could also make moves that further alienate the franchise’s fanbase.
According to a report from Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal, the Braves have shopped first baseman Freddie Freeman, one of the two remaining players signed to contract extensions by former GM Frank Wren before the 2014 season.
Officials from three different clubs told me that the Braves have indeed shopped first baseman Freddie Freeman, with one saying such a possibility was “the talk of the (Arizona) Fall League” among scouts about 10 days ago.
Freeman signed an eight-year, $135 million extension with the Braves in February of 2014. He’s still owed roughly $120 million over the final six years of the deal, and his salary will spike from $12 million in 2016 to $20.5 million in 2017 – the first season of Atlanta’s new ballpark in Cobb County.
The 26-year old Freeman hit .276/.370/.471 in 2015 with 18 homers over 118 games, missing a decent chunk of the year due to various ailments, including an oblique strain and a wrist injury that seeming hampered him over the season’s final three months. But despite those issues, he was still Atlanta’s best hitter in 2015, leading the team in homers, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage while ranking third in batting average.
BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE! From later in Rosenthal’s article, he also reveals that the Braves are also looking to trade anyone with a significant contract on the books.
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