How everyone in the Freeman-Olson saga came out winners four years later, plus more MLB notes
Except for one previously unreported twist, there’s no need to relitigate the drama of Freddie Freeman’s departure from the Atlanta Braves. Suffice to say, the Los Angeles Dodgers ended up thrilled with Freeman, and the Braves ended up thrilled with his replacement, Matt Olson.
The previously unreported twist is this: Once the Braves believed they were out on Freeman during the post-lockout free-agent frenzy in March 2022, they tried to sign another first baseman before acquiring Olson from the then-Oakland Athletics.
That first baseman, according to people familiar with both the team’s and player’s discussions, was Anthony Rizzo.
The parties did not get close to a deal. The Braves, who do not give players opt-outs, declined to offer Rizzo the kind of contract he received from the New York Yankees — two years, $32 million, with an opt-out after the first year. The team’s preference, according to a person close to Rizzo, was to sign him for one year.
Unable to reach agreement with Rizzo, the Braves were left with two choices at first base — stay internal with Adam Duvall, or pursue a trade for Olson. They quickly pivoted, grabbing Olson for a package of four prospects, only one of whom, catcher Shea Langeliers, amounted to a player of consequence.
The Braves’ effort to sign Rizzo further dispels a narrative that surfaced shortly after the tumultuous four-day period in which Freeman, Olson and Rizzo all changed teams – that the Braves’ intention all along was to land Olson.
Whatever, no one is complaining now.
Freeman, who agreed to a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers, with more than 35 percent deferred, has cemented his Hall of Fame candidacy in Los Angeles. An anchor for back-to-back World Series champions, he hit a walk-off grand slam in Game 1 of the 2024 World Series, and went on to win Series MVP.
Olson, who signed an eight-year, $168 million extension the day after joining the Braves, hasn’t been quite as good as Freeman offensively. His OPS+ as a Brave is 38 percent above league average, while Freeman’s as a Dodger is 50 percent above. But Olson, 32, is four years younger than Freeman, and a more highly rated (and elite) defender. This season, he also is an early candidate for National League MVP.
Freeman won that award with the Braves in the shortened 2020 season, and placed in the top five in each of his first two seasons with the Dodgers. Olson’s highest MVP finish, after he hit 54 homers in his second year with the Braves, was fourth.
How often do you hear players are not worthy of long-term deals, particularly first basemen who play a position low on the defensive spectrum? Well, both Freeman and Olson have been extremely durable and consistent, proving to be excellent buys.
Olson has yet to miss a game since joining the Braves, and his streak of 826 consecutive games is the majors’ second longest since 2000. Freeman, no slouch, averaged more than 150 games in his first four seasons with the Dodgers, and has missed only two this year.
On regular-season performance alone, Freeman already has outperformed his contract according to FanGraphs’ dollars metric, with one season remaining after this one. The metric is WAR converted to a dollar scale based on what a player would earn in free agency — and, based on the escalating value of WAR, probably underestimates players’ worth.
Olson is close to outperforming his contract as well, and he has three seasons at $22 million annually remaining after this one, plus a $20 million club option for 2030. Sixth in the majors with a 1.000 OPS, he sure doesn’t appear anywhere near decline.
No notes! For both the players and the clubs, everything turned out great.
Here comes the Crew (as if they ever went away)
No matter how hard the Chicago Cubs try, they just can’t shake the Milwaukee Brewers.
The Cubs, seeking to end the Brewers’ run of four NL Central titles in the past five seasons, started well enough, putting together two separate 10-game winning streaks.
But the Brewers, after trading Freddy Peralta, losing fellow right-handers Brandon Woodruff and Quinn Priester to injury and also playing a chunk of the season without left fielder Jackson Chourio, first baseman Andrew Vaughn and designated hitter Christian Yelich, are a mere 2 1/2 games out of first place.
And the gap might only continue to narrow.
The Brewers own the better run differential, +60 to +43. They entered Thursday in the top five in both runs per game and ERA, while the Cubs ranked only 11th in the pitching category. Here’s the craziest part: The Brewers could roll out an entirely new left side of their infield soon.
Cooper Pratt, signed to an eight-year, $50.75 million extension, looms as the replacement for Joey Ortiz, who is batting .200 with a .504 OPS. Ortiz is a terrific defender, but the Brewers also love Pratt’s defense. Like Ortiz, he will be challenged offensively, but his .342 on-base percentage at Triple A is at least somewhat encouraging.
Third baseman Luis Rengifo, signed to a one-year, $3.5 million free-agent contract, also is in a vulnerable position, thanks in part to his .578 OPS. Jett Williams, acquired from the New York Mets in the Peralta trade, could take over third at some point, with David Hamilton remaining in a utility role.
Ortiz, too, could become a utility man, which, as the Dodgers’ Miguel Rojas can attest, is not a bad way to make a living in the majors. Rojas, 37, has earned more than $40 million in his career. And he is not as good a defender as Ortiz.
Mariners facing tough decisions
The loss of catcher Cal Raleigh to a right oblique strain is a bad problem for the Seattle Mariners. The team’s temporary shift to a six-man rotation to accommodate the return of right-hander Bryce Miller is the proverbial good problem — and one that could grow even more interesting as the deadline nears.
Carrying an extra starter for the next week makes sense for the Mariners, who are in a middle of a 13-game stretch without a day off. But assuming everyone in the rotation stays healthy, an adjustment later this month will be required.
Club officials are hesitant to move any of the starters to the bullpen, preferring to keep all of them stretched out. And the pitcher previously on the Tacoma shuttle, Emerson Hancock, isn’t about to return to Triple A, not when his 3.21 ERA is the rotation’s second-lowest.
Piggybacking starters — say, Miller and Luis Castillo — is one possible solution, but might create other issues. Castillo, the team’s highest-paid and most veteran player, has never made a major-league appearance in relief. Neither, for that matter, has Miller. Keeping all six starters indefinitely also would complicate matters for the bullpen, altering usage patterns and leaving the group one reliever short.
One of the starters might get injured at some point, or at the very least benefit from a break. But if the Mariners are reasonably healthy at the deadline, they could entertain trading a starter. Beyond their current six, lefty Kade Anderson — the third overall pick out of LSU in the 2025 draft — has a 0.60 ERA, 47 strikeouts and just five walks in 30 innings at Double A.
The Mariners, of course, will be reluctant to compromise their depth, knowing it could further diminish at any time. But both shortstop J.P. Crawford and left fielder Randy Arozarena are eligible for free agency, leaving the team with two potential holes in next year’s lineup. With Colt Emerson likely taking over at short, the infield vacancy would be at third base.
Knowing the free-agent market will be thin, the Mariners might want to get a head start on their offseason. The obvious starting pitcher to move would be Castillo, who is owed the balance of his $22.75 million salary this season and another $22.75 million next season. His deal also includes a $1 million assignment bonus if traded, and a vesting or conditional option for 2028.
Castillo, 33, entered his start in Houston on Thursday with a 6.57 ERA, but at least part of that was driven by poor luck. His strand rate was low, his home-run rate was high and his opponents’ batting average on balls in play was .364, nearly 80 points above the league average. He showed progress against the Astros, allowing three runs in 5 2/3 innings, including a solo shot by Yordan Alvarez.
The Nats can hit? Really?
The Washington Nationals are rebuilding. Their biggest offensive addition was outfielder Joey Wiemer, a waiver claim from the San Francisco Giants. Yet, with the season more than one-fourth complete, the Nationals — the Nationals! — entered Thursday ranked second in the majors in runs per game.
Much of the team’s success had been driven by their two best hitters, shortstop CJ Abrams and right fielder James Wood, who were eighth and 14th in the majors in OPS, respectively. Both also enjoyed big first halves last season, so some form of regression seems inevitable. But with the Nationals, other things are happening, too.
For starters, the new front office’s emphasis on better swing decisions seems to be taking hold. Prior to Thursday’s 15-1 loss in Cincinnati, the Nats actually were chasing at a higher rate than last season, but overall were swinging less. Their walk rate — 7.4 percent last season, 28th in the league — had increased to 9.5 percent, which ranked 17th.
First-time manager Blake Butera also is making good use of his entire roster, in the style of two teams that all low-revenue clubs emulate, Tampa Bay and Milwaukee. The Nats and Colorado Rockies entered Thursday as the only teams to feature 13 players with 70 or more plate appearances, according to Stats Perform.
Besides Abrams and Wood, Wiemer, José Tena, Curtis Mead and Daylen Lile all were at least 22 percent above league average in OPS+. Mead, like Wiemer, was a seemingly minor addition, acquired from the Chicago White Sox at the end of March.
How long all this lasts is anyone’s guess. And how the Nationals proceed with Abrams, who is under club control for two more seasons after this one, will be one of the more fascinating storylines at the deadline.
Abrams, 25, has made changes to his bat path, helping him hit the ball harder, and nearly doubled his walk rate, from 5.8 percent to 10.6 percent. His improved plate discipline has helped fuel an increase of nearly 100 points in slugging percentage, from .433 to .539.
Barring injuries, shortstop generally is not a position of need for contenders at the deadline. The Rays this season could be an exception — their offensive production at shortstop is among the league’s worst. But a better market for Abrams most likely will develop in the offseason. The free-agent market will be practically devoid of shortstops, unless Bo Bichette opts out and teams again view him as capable at the position.
Arenado adjusting in Arizona
At 35, Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Nolan Arenado says, “I don’t feel old. But the way I was playing was old.”
So, after two disappointing seasons and another slow start, Arenado tried a new training method — hitting off a pitching machine set up at angles outside the normal release area. The change seems to be helping: In his last 100 plate appearances, Arenado is batting .333 with six homers and a .998 OPS.
Previously, Arenado said, his pregame offensive routine amounted to “tee, flips, BP, go play.” But he acknowledged, “That hasn’t worked for me in years.”
By hitting off pitching machines at different angles, Arenado said he subconsciously is forced to get his body into the right position. He isn’t thinking about his hands, or anything mechanical, really. He’s just reacting.
“I wish I didn’t have to do these things,” he said. “But I’ve got to get the most out of myself.”
Here’s to Moniak
Colorado Rockies outfielder Mickey Moniak was an easy choice for me as Dude of the Week on “Fair Territory.” As I said on the show, I’m a sucker for players who revive their careers, seemingly against all odds, after years of struggle.
Moniak, who turned 28 on Wednesday, is not without pedigree. The Philadelphia Phillies selected him first overall in the 2016 draft out of La Costa Canyon H.S. in Carlsbad, Calif. But he never caught on with the Phils, who traded him at the 2022 deadline as part of a package for right-hander Noah Syndergaard. And he never caught on with the Angels, who released him at the end of spring training in 2025.
The Rockies signed Moniak two days later. He finally broke out last season, batting .270 with 24 homers and an .824 OPS. And on Thursday morning, he woke up the major-league leader in slugging percentage, and second only to the New York Yankees’ Ben Rice in OPS.
“I did not know him before he got here. I just know that since he has been here, there has been a feeling of belonging for him and he knows the people here believe in him and love what he does,” Rockies manager Warren Schaeffer said.
“He’s a real leader in the clubhouse. That comes naturally for him. Maybe he has just finally settled in with everything and let his skills shine. Sometimes it can be tough to have a ton of expectations on you from the beginning. Sometimes it just takes some time to be OK with who you are.”
Playing at Coors Field is helping Moniak, whose OPS is 1.255 at home, .823 on the road. But perhaps talk of Moniak as a 1-1 bust soon will subside. The truth is, the 2016 draft was one of the thinnest in recent memory. And someone had to be chosen first.
The four players selected after Moniak — Nick Senzel, Ian Anderson, Riley Pint and Corey Ray — have combined for -0.4 bWAR. Pete Alonso, the leader in bWAR from that draft, went 64th overall.
