ATLANTA -- When the Braves ended Freddie Freeman’s hope to spend his entire career in Atlanta by acquiring Matt Olson before the start of the 2022 season, it seemed the decision would make more sense after a few years. Well, as Freeman creeps toward his late 30s and Olson remains in what should still be his prime, it looks like the controversial decision could become even more valuable over the next few years.
Freeman is a likely first-ballot Hall of Famer who will be one of the most beloved players in Braves history. Seeing his illustrious Atlanta tenure end immediately after he brought the city its second World Series title was a serious gut punch.
But when Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos had to make a decision before the 2022 season, the past was trumped by the future. Regardless of whether Freeman was going to end up with a five- or six-year deal, Anthopoulos had to account for how the Braves were best situated during what would have been the latter years of a deal.
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Let’s just say Freeman would have accepted a five-year deal to stay in Atlanta. This, of course, means the A’s would have traded Olson elsewhere.
This comparison will give you an idea of what you might have been thinking at the end of the 2024 season, which Freeman highlighted with one of the most incredible World Series performances in history.
2022-24 seasons - Freeman (age 32-34 seasons): 18.4 fWAR and 152 wRC+ (led all MLB first basemen in both categories)
- Olson (age 28-30 seasons): 12.4 fWAR (second among first basemen) and 134 wRC+
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Even with Olson having an other-worldly 2023 season, during which he set Braves franchise records for home runs (54) and RBIs (139), it wasn’t surprising to see Freeman being the more productive of the two first basemen during the past three years.
But it’s notable that while a Hall of Famer produced HOF-caliber numbers, Olson was arguably the game's second-best first baseman during this stretch.
Now, as Freeman goes through his age-35 season with the Dodgers, we are starting to see why the Braves decided going with Olson a few years ago may prove to be more valuable in the long run.
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2025 comparison - Olson: 3.2 fWAR, 128 wRC+
- Freeman: 2.6 fWAR, 138 wRC+
Yeah, much of Olson’s WAR value is rooted in the Gold Glove-caliber production he has provided defensively. But he’s also closing the gap between him and Freeman offensively.
How Olson fares over the remainder of his eight-year deal will ultimately determine whether the Braves made the right decision to go younger at first base. But the most important comparison will come over the next seasons, which would have been the fifth and sixth years of a Freeman contract extension in Atlanta.
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MLB MORNING LINEUP PODCAST |
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Who holds the Atlanta record (since 1966) for the highest ERA in a season that included at least 20 starts? This doesn’t include this year, as Bryce Elder still has a chance to avoid the record.
A. Pascual Perez
B. Phil Niekro
C. Jo-Jo Reyes
D. Julio Teheran
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Seeing Bobby Cox smiling as he was surrounded by the players and coaches who returned to be honored during the 1995 World Series reunion on Friday night was incredibly special. Cox was so excited to attend the event, he awoke around 6 a.m. Friday. Cox constructed the Braves as a GM, led them to unmatched success as a manager and served as a father figure throughout his Hall of Fame career.
“He is, by far, the reason I am who I am,” Braves Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz said. “He traded for me and he managed me. In 1991, not too many managers would have stuck with a 2-11 guy. There's a lot of history here with us. I stayed almost my whole career here because of him. There was no other reason.”
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The late Wally Berger was inducted into the Braves Hall of Fame on Saturday. Berger established himself as one of the franchise’s first true power hitters while playing in Boston from 1930-37. He set a NL rookie mark with 38 home runs, a record that stood until Cody Bellinger broke it in 2017. Berger was a 4-time All-Star who ranks second in franchise history with a .533 slugging percentage. |
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Dayton Moore said it best Saturday morning when he said his good friend Roy Clark was “the Dale Earnhardt of scouting.” Clark, who passed away Friday night, was feared, revered and loved throughout the baseball world. He might have not done things the way some liked and he certainly ruffled some feathers, but his track record proves he was a winner.
One thing that stood out from my many conversations with former players and friends over the past couple days was the fact that regardless of who was employing Clark, his heart was with the Braves. One of his friends said, “I’ll bet you he hasn’t missed a game, even since they got rid of him a few years ago.”
Clark loved Paul Snyder, Bobby Cox, John Schuerholz and the Braves family he enriched over the past few decades. He was responsible for Greg McMichael, who helped Atlanta win a World Series title in 1995, and he was the one who said to take Austin Riley as a hitter in the 2015 MLB Draft.
So, while he’s gone, Clark’s fingerprints will continue to impact his beloved Braves for many years to come.
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A. Pascual Perez Perez had a 6.14 ERA over 22 starts in 1985. Reyes ranks second with the 5.84 ERA he produced over 22 starts in 2008. Elder has a 6.12 ERA after making his 22nd start of the season on Sunday. |
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