The Atlanta Braves and its fanbase wanted MVP first baseman Freddie Freeman back in Atlanta but that doesn’t feel like it’s going to happen anymore when the team traded for first-time All-Star Matt Olson from the Oakland A’s.
In doing so, the Braves parted with a bundle of prospects including CF Cristian Pache, C Shea Langeliers, RHP Ryan Cusick, and RHP Joey Estes.
The two biggest names are the first two names as Pache burst onto the scene a couple of postseason’s ago where he showed off his defensive prowess and he was ranked the No. 69th prospect in all of baseball. Also, Langeliers who ranked 68th and who was poised to be the Braves No. 1 overall prospect.
The decision to trade for Olson was a difficult one for general manager Alex Anthopoulos who, according to ESPN, said basically the writing was on the wall Sunday night that Freeman was not going to return to Atlanta.
Once that was the case Anthopoulos went hard after a man who grew up a Georgia boy and one he felt would be a suitable replacement for a guy who had an opportunity to be a legendary Braves player.
Freddie Freeman, who could have been mentioned with the likes of Hank Aaron and Chipper Jones must have decided the money outweighed the chance to be a Braves legend which is exactly what he could have been.
Now, in any return to Atlanta Freeman will get a standing ovation, the fanbase will be appreciative of what he did for the organization but he won’t go up in the Braves rafters, so to speak.
Along with the trade for Matt Olson the Braves also provided him with a welcome gift of an eight-year contract extension worth a reported $168 million dollars. Not too shabby if you ask me, welcome home Matt.
Matt Olson has arrived 📍 pic.twitter.com/xp23E2Ct3P
— Bally Sports: Braves (@BravesOnBally) March 15, 2022
How do you feel about the deal for Matt Olson? Wells Guthrie and David Paschall of Press Row posed the question on their show Tuesday…
Press Row Poll Question: What best describes your reaction to Atlanta #Braves signing Matt Olson and assuredly parting ways with Freddie Freeman? ⚾️
— ESPN Chattanooga (@ESPNChattanooga) March 15, 2022
Regardless how you feel about the move there’s no denying that Olson has improved and gotten better ever since he got a legitimate shot at playing every day in Major League Baseball.
Matt Olson is on his way to his home state of Georgia. pic.twitter.com/Y6CKmNoJjS
— MLB Stats (@MLBStats) March 14, 2022
That’s pretty impressive and he’s only 27 years old and the hope is that he’s just hitting his stride as a professional baseball player. While Freeman is the better of the two players he is five years older.
Olson gives the Braves a great, younger nucleus of players with Ronald Acuna Jr. (24), Ozzie Albies (25), Dansby Swanson (28), and Austin Riley (24).
Braves signed or under team control long-term
1B Matt Olson – Through 2029 (+ team option)
2B Ozzie Albies – 2025 (+ team option)
3B Austin Riley – 2025
OF Ronald Acuña Jr. – 2026 (+ team option)
LHP Max Fried – 2024
RHP Mike Soroka – 2024
RHP Ian Anderson – 2026— Kyle Glaser (@KyleAGlaser) March 15, 2022
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