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Freddie Freeman: Braves Have Not Discussed Trading First-Baseman

By Jonathan Savitske

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Over the past few days, rumors have circulated around the internet that the Atlanta Braves are shopping Freddie Freeman, their star first-baseman and one of two final holdovers from the 2013 National League East Championship team.

After the trade of Andrelton Simmons to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim this past Thursday, many speculated that by trading one of their cornerstone players in Simmons, that Freeman is next in line to exit via a trade. Despite many signs pointing to a possible trade involving Freddie Freeman, the Atlanta Journal Constitution’s Braves beat writer, David O’Brien, reports that the Atlanta Braves have not discussed trading Freeman at all:

-= Related: Freddie Freeman: Next Brave to be Traded? =-

This is a confirmation of what the Braves’ GM John Coppolella’s and the front-office’s statements over the past few days that Freddie Freeman is not on the trade block, and will suit up for the ball-club in 2016.

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Despite these assurances from the front-office, many fans (myself included) now take these declarations with a grain of salt. Last year, the Atlanta Braves front-office stated that Craig Kimbrel was a part of the club’s future plans, but sent him packing along with Melvin Upton Jr.‘s albatross contract to the San Diego Padres the day before the start of the 2015 regular season.

Andrelton Simmons is another player that in the past was supposedly a cornerstone of the franchise, but the front-office simply could  not pass up on the offer for the Braves’ venerable shortstop, stockpiling more young arms while claiming that Erick Aybar is an offensive upgrade (perhaps he is a better offensive option, but that’s beside the point). I still have difficulty believing everything the front-office is saying, given their track record over the past year and a half and the current vision of the Braves’ rebuild.

Atlanta Braves’ manager Fredi Gonzalez echoed the sentiment of the front-office when discussing the status of Freddie Freeman, stating that Freeman will suit up for the club in 2016:

So now, that’s two upper level voices within the Atlanta Braves’ organization claiming that Freddie Freeman will dress for the team in 2016. I’m still unsure.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Atlanta Braves team store listed Freddie Freeman team gear in clearance, alongside Andrelton Simmons and other now-gone players. Of course, it’s easy to read into something like this too much; but still, given the constant flux of the Atlanta Braves roster over the past year, could this foreshadow what could occur in the near future?

In the end, this could mean absolutely nothing. Perhaps the Braves are having such difficulty selling team gear right now that the only way to drive sales is to discount Freddie Freeman apparel. Or perhaps, they know something is coming. The Andrelton Simmons trade materialized quickly, and the same could happen if a team gave the Braves a king’s ransom to acquire the services of Freddie Freeman.

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Not to discount the veracity of the front-office’s claims, but at this time, can we as fans truly trust what they are saying? Even if we can’t, that’s a part of the business side of baseball. At one moment, a player is the face of a franchise, and an hour later with a deal on the table, is now expendable.

Because of the state of the Atlanta Braves, and the vision the front-office has for the future, I believe that Freddie Freeman is a part of their plans. I also believe that in a moment’s notice, that could all change.

Next: Erick Aybar: Upgrade at Shortstop for Braves?

As a lifelong Braves fan, I understand what the organization is doing, and while I’m a bit selfish to want to field a winning team now, I understand the logic of the plan. The game of baseball is dynamic and can change in an instant; so at the moment, I don’t believe that the Braves have discussed any trades involving Freddie Freeman. However, it is also foolish not to think that they aren’t gauging interest from around the league, and would not hesitate to trade Freeman for the right price.

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