The Atlanta Braves' choice to move on from star first baseman Freddie Freeman has aged as poorly as any decision in recent franchise history. Opting to allow a National League rival to steal your most consistent hitter shockingly hasn't aged well, and now Freeman is a three-time World Series champion after winning back-to-back championships with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Atlanta fans are facing the difficult reality that a former cornerstone of the franchise has cemented a legacy with the Dodgers. It very much calls into question how his career will be remembered.
No longer is it clear whether Freeman will be going into the Hall of Fame as a Brave. There is a real argument to be made that his MLB career will be defined by his time with Los Angeles. A difficult truth that is simply unavoidable when you consider his 2024 World Series MVP win and his contributions to this year's run.
It is hard to envision what exactly the slugger's legacy is going to be once he calls it a career. For Braves fans, there is a hope that perhaps there is one final chapter in Atlanta.
Freddie Freeman's Latest World Series Ring Impacts Braves Legacy
Freeman's contract expires at the end of the 2027 season, perhaps opening the door for a fitting finale in A-Town. At the same time, one can argue that he should never have left the Braves to begin with. The back-to-back defending World Series Champion has gotten the last laugh over a franchise that wanted to play hardball in negotiations, and Atlanta has nothing to show for it.
On the heels of winning a World Series, the Braves decided that a sixth year on Freeman's contract was simply too tall an ask and pivoted to Matt Olson. As great as Olson has been, there is no denying that he doesn't have the offensive impact or consistency of Freeman. All Atlanta's front office had to do was make the obvious decision and keep a core intact that had just won it all, but shaking things up proved to be too tempting.
Instead, an increasingly thrifty group of decision-makers pushed out their most consistent player, and each season has paid the price. Seeing Freeman now considered every bit as much a Dodger as a Brave is the cherry on top of mounting frustration.
With that said, it is easy to be happy for the first baseman and the impressive list of accomplishments he continues to compile. There is zero doubt he will be a first-ballot Hall-of-Fame player and remembered by both franchises for years to come. However, it is hard not to wonder what could've been had the Braves simply made the right decision.
Freeman should've spent the rest of his career as a Brave and instead has become an undeniable Dodgers legend.