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Why won’t the Dodgers just give Freddie Freeman what he wants?

ByThomas Carannante|
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 31: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated by Eric Young Sr. #2 after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game Five of the World Series at Truist Park on October 31, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 31: Freddie Freeman #5 of the Atlanta Braves is congratulated by Eric Young Sr. #2 after hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros during the third inning in Game Five of the World Series at Truist Park on October 31, 2021 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

UPDATE: All other bidders appear to be out; the Dodgers and Freddie Freeman are reportedly finalizing a six-year, $160 million deal:

Excuse us, but wasn’t Freddie Freeman supposed to make a decision more than three days ago after it was reported the Los Angeles Dodgers made him a contract offer?

Maybe he needed a little bit more time. Understandable. But shouldn’t have his decision been expedited after the Atlanta Braves traded for Matt Olson and then signed him to an eight-year contract extension?

How many “mystery teams” are in this race?! The New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays have prominently been mentioned, but who else? Ah, of course, the San Diego Padres just had to jump in here to further muddle the situation. Oh yeah, and the Boston Red Sox are apparently hanging around, too.

In the end, though, don’t the Dodgers have the upper hand? They’re arguably the World Series favorite in 2022. They have the financial resources to out-bid everybody. And they can give Freeman a chance to return home to Southern California.

So what’s going on?

Why aren’t the Dodgers simply giving Freddie Freeman what he wants?

If we’re to believe the constant reports, Freeman wants at least six years on his next contract. Is there a reason the Dodgers are reportedly offering the alternative of a short-term high AAV deal? Didn’t they learn their lesson with Bryce Harper, who chose a 13-year pact with the Phillies instead?

Or did the Dodgers make a multitude of offers to Freeman, both of the short- and long-term variety to grab his attention so he wouldn’t be distracted by other suitors? Nonetheless, it’s confusing why his decision is taking so long if the Dodgers are among the most interested and can probably offer the best situation.

There is a bit of good news here, though. The Jays might be falling out of the running, as it’s been reported they like their chances better with Kyle Schwarber at the moment. Additionally, the Rays’ continued interest doesn’t really scare anybody and the Red Sox’s late entry is probably a ploy to drive the price up on the Yankees. The Padres seem threatening, but they probably have to unload the contracts of Eric Hosmer and Wil Myers before they do anything of this magnitude.

The bad news? Judging by the Yankees’ behavior in recent years, Freeman’s desire for a long-term deal is right in their wheelhouse. New York loves to spread out salaries so not to hinder their short-term spending and would have no problem going at least six years, assuming they can trade Luke Voit and maybe clear a bit more off the payroll.

Ah, nevermind! The Yankees signed Anthony Rizzo late on Tuesday night. No Freeman to New York. The Blue Jays also acquired Matt Chapman early this morning, seemingly taking themselves out of the race, too.

Now, at this point, we really don’t know what the holdup is, unless the Red Sox and Rays have somehow become more of an attractive destination than LA … but that simply cannot be.

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