What you need to know about Freddie Freeman, rumoured free agent target for the Blue Jays

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/03/2022 (1626 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

If you’re not quite up-to-date on your Blue Jays scuttlebutt, we have two words for you.

Freddie Freeman.

The former Atlanta Braves first baseman, a five-time all-star, three-time Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner (once), the National League’s Most Valuable Player in 2020 and a reigning World Series champion, is the hottest topic among Jays fans right now. Thumbs are sore from consistent refreshing of social media feeds, in the hopes that someone will soon announce Freeman to the Jays.

Signing the native of California, who is known as much for his leadership off the field as his play on it, was a pipe dream for some Jays fans long before Freeman’s contract with the Atlanta Braves was up last fall. The idea gained traction as Freeman didn’t sign an extension with Atlanta prior to the 2021 season, during the year or shortly after he was crowned a world champion, with some teammates using the team’s celebration parade as a platform to publicly call for a new deal for the heartbeat of the squad.

But hopes soared in Toronto on Monday when Atlanta signed a first baseman not named Freeman, bringing in all-star Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics in a deal that saw four of the Braves’ top prospects heading to California. Atlanta’s general manager Alex Anthopoulos, formerly of the Jays, was sombre as he announced a blockbuster any other team may clamour for, because the implications of the signing for the cornerstone of the franchise were clear.

Freeman was out. And Jays fans were on pins and needles.

Reports about where Freeman will land generally say there are a number of teams in his pursuit alongside the Jays, including the Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Yankees, the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. But a post from Carlos Baerga on Monday, suggesting Freeman would land in Toronto in a deal that would be signed on Tuesday, stoked the already searing fire among Jays fans. Jays outfielder Lourdes Gurriel Jr. commented on the post with a “Shh” emoji.

How it plays out remains to be seen, but in the meantime here are some things to know about the Jays’ free agent target.

He’s part Canadian: Freeman was born and raised in California, but has roots north of the border. His parents were both born in Canada, his mother in Toronto and his father in Windsor. They were married in Oshawa. Freeman is a dual citizen. In 2017, Freeman chose to represent Canada at the World Baseball Classic in honour of his mother, Rosemary, who died of melanoma, a skin cancer, when Freeman was 10 years old. “I carry my mother with me every day and I can’t wait to represent her by playing in her honour,” Freeman wrote on social media when he announced his decision in February 2017.

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His 2020 MVP turn was particularly impressive: That’s given how the season started for Freeman. He was diagnosed with COVID-19 in early July 2020, about three weeks before the shortened season was set to begin. Freeman said he suffered a 104.5 degree fever one night that had him praying, “Please don’t take me,” before bed one night. He struggled through the first two weeks of the season, hitting .191 with a .656 OPS and one home run, but bounced back in a big way, batting .341 with 13 home runs and 53 RBIs while playing all 60 games.

He may not seems like an obvious fit for the Jays, but it can work: The Jays already have a first baseman in Vladimir Guerrero Jr., which does make a deal for Freeman seem redundant. But there are other things about Freeman that very much work for the Jays, like his lefty bat and ability to hit for power and average. Plus, Toronto prioritizes qualities that fit its culture, especially in its veteran players, and Freeman gets top marks for his leadership and team-first attitude. While he was on the record saying he wanted to finish his career in Atlanta, who drafted him in 2010 and where he spent 12 years, Freeman will undoubtedly give his all to whatever organization he joins.

He’s had success at Rogers Centre: The sample size is small, to be sure, but in the 11 games Freeman has played in Toronto over his 12-year career, he has posted a .362/.434/.766 slashline with a 1.200 OPS. He has also gone deep five time, with 12 RBIs. Add in a double, a triple and a handful of walks and you’d guess Freeman would be OK with calling Rogers Centre his home field, based on his numbers so far.

Freddie isn’t the only famous Freeman: Freeman has three sons with wife Chelsea: Charlie, age five, and one-year-old twins, Brandon and Maximus. Charlie has regularly joined his mom in the stands at his dad’s games and at big baseball events, like last year’s all-star game. There, Charlie met his favourite baseball player — Fernando Tatis Jr. Charlie has also been called a “fashion icon” after suiting up in style for Atlanta’s red-carpet send off before flying to Houston for last year’s World Series, and can make his own mark on the ball field. His dad posted videos last year about warming up for game four of the World Series by watching his son play. Charlie got some hits in of his own.

Laura Armstrong is a Star sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter: @lauraarmy