Can Dodgers lure Freddie Freeman on shorter-term, high AAV contract?

For months now, reports and rumors have suggested it’s likely going to take a sixth year on any contract to get Freddie Freeman to ditch the Atlanta Braves in free agency, and the Los Angeles Dodgers have been at the forefront of the speculative discussion.

Even better, some Dodgers players have joined in on the fun, clearly taking notice of the offseason buzz during the MLB lockout.

The Braves reportedly offered Freeman $135 million over five years, which simply is not enough for all that he managed to accomplish for the city of Atlanta under a team-friendly deal over the last eight seasons.

That’s now opened the door for big players such as the Dodgers and Yankees to wield their spending power and snag one of the best available talents. But now it appears a sixth year might not be the deal-breaker for Freeman. What if he’s just given a boatload of money over a short period of time? Is this the new frontier for Freeman talks?

What would a Dodgers-Freddie Freeman contract look like?

Here’s the latest from ESPN’s Buster Olney (subscription required):

“For Freeman, the most likely alternative to the Braves might be the Dodgers. Some agents believe Andrew Friedman, the head of baseball operations for L.A., would never devote a six-year deal to a first baseman entering the back half of his career. ‘But a shorter term deal that’s really lucrative — I could see that,’ said one agent, positing a four-year, $140 million contract as more workable for L.A.”

An agent wondered if a shorter-team, higher AAV deal could coax Freeman. That contract posited above would pay Freeman $35 million per season and give him the chance to earn another contract after his age-35 season. That really wouldn’t be a bad situation, since Freeman’s swing suggests it’ll be able to last at least as a designated hitter (which will now be in both leagues) if he wants to play into his late-30s. He might not have a problem landing another deal after a four-year pact.

As for the Dodgers, this would actually make more sense from a payroll standpoint given how many players are coming off the books in the next few years. Such a contract would keep Freeman in town through the 2025 season. After that year, the only player scheduled to be guaranteed a contract is Mookie Betts. If LA can load up on star players on shorter-term deals in free agency and via trade, then they can maximize this window with Max Muncy, Justin Turner, Walker Buehler, Julio Urías, AJ Pollock, Blake Treinen, Chris Taylor and others, in addition to those coming up the pipeline.

Then there can be a full-on reset after 2024 or 2025. Either that, or Dodgers fans surely would be fine with Freeman remaining in LA for six years. No scenario poses an issue.

Justin Turner skillfully lobbies for Freddie Freeman to join Dodgers on Twitter

Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner seems to want Freddie Freeman on his side next year ... if we're to believe this Twitter conversation.