In a miserable Atlanta Braves 2025 season, it has never been easier to second-guess the team's decision-making. Whether it is the choice to ignore glaring roster needs or let franchise stars walk, there is no shortage of questionable decisions. None are more painful than the original mistake that started Atlanta's slide from division dominance when the team allowed Freddie Freeman to walk away. The contract dispute came down to an additional year; the Braves simply weren't willing to give.
A decision that has aged as poorly as one could possibly imagine. While Matt Olson remains one of the best at his position, there simply isn't any comparison to the offensive dominance or leadership that Atlanta let slip away. This was further shown this week in a division showdown between the Dodgers and San Diego Padres. Freeman collected three hits, scored two runs, and drove in another while raising his season average to .351 on the season.
Former Braves First Baseman Freddie Freeman Continuing Impressive Run
Atlanta outsmarted itself, believing that it was wise to play hardball with a franchise legend when it came to contract negotiations. The team wasn't willing to meet Freeman's demands and announced this by trading and extending current starter Matt Olson. This is again where it is important to point out that Olson has had incredible production at times and is one of the best at his position. Still, there is no way around the fact that it remains a downgrade and a hole the Braves are yet to fill.
It isn't just the elite production the Braves lost, but their franchise voice in the clubhouse. Freeman was the last of the old guard who learned under Chipper Jones and Bobby Cox what the standard was in Atlanta. The veteran had no issue holding teammates to this and was a calming voice when things weren't going the right way.
Choosing to let this impact walk away without more of a fight speaks to a front office whose ego was at an all-time high after an impressive 2021 World Series run. Having found surprise bargains in Eddie Rosario, Joc Pederson, and Jorge Soler, there was a false sense of belief that all the team's needed answers could be found on the trade and free agent markets.
As the 2025 season shows, this is far from the case as the franchise continued to lose key leaders in Ron Washington, Dansby Swanson, and Max Fried. Each of these blows has set up the current situation and serve as a reminder as to what could have been.
While both Washington and Swanson departed for understandable reasons the team easily could have kept both Freeman and Fried. Neither contract was record-setting nor outside of the team's ability. Monday's clutch performance from the former Brave serves as a reminder of this and continues to drive home what a colossal mistake it was to let the legend walk away.