Freddie Freeman: Next Brave to be Traded?

Freddie Freeman is the final position player on the Atlanta Braves left from the 2013 National East Championship Team following the trade of shortstop Andrelton Simmons on Thursday to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.

Along with Julio Teheran and Mike Minor, only these three players remain from the team that went to the 2013 NLDS. Though the Atlanta Braves front-office made it clear last offseason that they intended to build around Freddie Freeman, even meeting with him to present their plan for the franchise, could the organization decide to go full scorched earth and shop Freddie Freeman too? I mean, Andrelton Simmons was a cornerstone player, and now that he’s gone, there are plenty indications to suggest that Freddie Freeman could also depart from Atlanta shortly.

ESPN.com’s David Schoenfield wrote a piece on Friday on how despite the front-office’s communication with Freddie Freeman over the course of the past year, amidst of all of its trades and transactions, this is probably not what Freeman expected when he signed an 8-year, $135 million extension with the Atlanta Braves in 2014. At the time, the organization fielded a team with exceptional major league talent, but with a dearth of prospects in the farm system. After failing to replicate their success from the 96-win 2013 campaign, the Braves fired then GM Frank Wren, and began the task of fixing the club.

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I’m sure that even last season when meeting with the front-office, Freddie Freeman did not expect such as complete decimation of the Braves’ major league roster. As the face of the Atlanta Braves now, could we see that the Johns in the front-office decide that there may be an offer they can’t refuse for the Braves’ All-Star first-baseman?

One could argue that some of the moves that new President of Baseball Operations John Hart initiated were necessary evils; and even the front-office called the makeover a “re-tooling”, rather than a “rebuild”. The Braves claimed they would compete in 2015, but were shooting for 2017 as the year they would truly contend for a world championship when they move to SunTrust Park.

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After the trade of Andrelton Simmons, the makeover of the Atlanta Braves is not re-tooling: it is a full rebuild. So if the Braves are all-in, why not trade Freddie Freeman? He would most certainly net more top prospects; and for a team building for the future, that is what they covet. But at the same time, as the only “star” player on the Braves, any trade involving Freddie Freeman would cost a king’s ransom for a club pursuing him, making the cost for some prohibitive. Regardless of whether it is fair to Freddie Freeman or not, he signed a long-term contract with the Braves, and whatever their intentions, he should stand by and support the vision for the club.

Now do I believe that the Atlanta Braves will trade Freddie Freeman this offseason, given their penchant for parting ways with core players? I actually don’t believe so. Unless there is a deal on the table that nets the Braves the next Carlos Correa or Kris Bryant, Freddie Freeman is staying in Atlanta.

Next: Atlanta Braves Trade Sure Thing in Simmons to Play the Lottery with Young Pitching

There are plenty of rumors over the past 48 hours that have asserted that the Atlanta Braves are shopping Freddie Freeman, but in the end, they are only rumors. The Atlanta Journal Constitution’s David O’Brien echoed this sentiment on Twitter, somewhat quashing any hearsay involving the potential departure of Freddie Freeman.

All it takes is one person to start rumor. One could spend all day responding to every question about every rumor. https://t.co/FmVvlfRejU
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) November 13, 2015

Still though, if John Hart and John Coppolella have shown us anything over the past year, it’s that they are not afraid to pull the trigger, and anything could happen at a moment’s notice. Stay tuned.

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