Dodgers fans should be thrilled Freddie Freeman buzz is alive and well

The Los Angeles Dodgers can’t pull any punches once the lockout is lifted. They’ve lost far too much talent to lag even further behind the rest of the league and its contenders.

But all we have at this point is speculation. Then again, any of the positive variety will have us engaged as much as possible … which brings us to the popular subject of Atlanta Braves free agent Freddie Freeman.

Somehow, the Braves didn’t think it’d be smart to hand the World Series champion a blank check the moment he lifted the Commissioner’s Trophy, and now he’s floating out there without a home as the owners and players look to enact a new collective bargaining agreement.

In more bad news for the Braves, it’s giving MLB insiders a lot to talk about and more reason to link Freeman to the Dodgers, given his Southern California roots.

Dodgers Rumors: Freddie Freeman to LA remains a hot topic of conversation

We’ve heard a ton from David Vassegh of AM 570 LA Sports on this topic, and he recently mentioned the fit due to Max Muncy’s elbow injury coupled with the fact the infield was downgraded after Corey Seager left for the Rangers.

But now here comes Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) in his recent column about the best remaining free agents on the market:

"“The Yankees and Dodgers are believed to be among the teams that have checked in with Freeman and his representatives to express interest. If he doesn’t re-sign with Atlanta, look for Los Angeles to make a strong bid for his services.”"

The difficult aspect of this would be the Dodgers competing with Freeman’s incumbent team as well as the Yankees, who are believed to be ready to make a flurry of moves when transactions are permitted once again. However, LA previously expressing interest coupled with the fact a multitude of insiders perceive this as a logical, necessary fit, should excite fans for the team’s potential free agency endeavors.

Though the topic of paying Freeman what he reportedly wants (six years in the $180-$200 million range) is a discussion for another time, the Dodgers potentially adding arguably the best first baseman of this generation in an effort to get back to the top of MLB leaves plenty of healthy speculation during one of the most boring times in baseball history.

Does paying Freddie Freeman align with the Dodgers’ outlook beyond 2022?

The Los Angeles Dodgers were reportedly interested in Freddie Freeman before the lockout ... but does it make sense to pay him?