Braves GM makes feelings clear on replacing Freddie Freeman with Matt Olson

After winning the 2021 World Series, the Atlanta Braves failed to retain Freddie Freeman in free agency. The first baseman signed with the LA Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal.

In order to fill the void at first, ahead of the 2022 season, the Braves traded for Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics and eventually signed him to an eight-year contract extension worth $168 million.

It has been three years since that offseason and looking back, MLB insider Jon Heyman asked Braves President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos about whether he regrets not being able to sign Freeman, who has improved his Hall of Fame resume by winning another World Series with the Dodgers last season.

On Tuesday's episode of "The Show," Anthopoulos revisited the Freeman negotiations, admitting the Braves wanted to retain their cornerstone but simply couldn’t make a deal happen.

"Hall of Fame player, always on a Hall of Fame track," Anthopoulos said of Freeman (38:19 onwards). "Obviously, it's been well documented — there were discussions and so on, and we couldn't get the deal done.

"But in terms of ability, talent, work ethic, durability—all those things—there was no doubt. There was no doubt about that at all. We had a lot of conversations. Ultimately, the deal didn’t get done, and then you have to decide, okay, we need to fill a spot here."

The Braves' GM further shared his thoughts on how Matt Olson has turned up for the club.

"Obviously, Matt’s been phenomenal for us. He’s done a great job," Anthopoulos added. "And look—we're proud of the fact that we win the World Series, the next year we win 101 games in ’22. Then, after 2022, we win 104 games and get eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. And ultimately, we had some injuries in the rotation."

Comparing Matt Olson and Freddie Freeman since the change of teams in 2022

After signing with the LA Dodgers, Freddie Freeman has posted a .318 batting average, a .401 on-base percentage and a .531 slugging percentage from 2022 to present. He’s tallied 81 home runs, driven in 291 runs, scored 325 times and added 45 stolen bases.

Meanwhile, in that same three-year span, Olson batted .255 with a .349 OBP and .508 slugging, but his biggest impact came through his 127 home runs and 366 RBIs.

Both have been elite first basemen for their respective teams and continue to be productive to this day.

About the author

Krutik Jain is a journalist who has been reporting on baseball at Sportskeeda since 2022. It was in 2018 when the baseball bug bit Krutik, and already a cricket fan, he credits baseball's rules and Clayton Kershaw's pitching to have hooked him to the game.

A Kershaw and Mookie Betts fan, Krutik rates his favorite team LA Dodgers triumphing over Tampa Bay Rays in the 2020 World Series as his best baseball moment so far. His answer to the perennial "one player from the past you could meet" question is Jackie Robinson. Despite never having seen him play, Robinson's impact, legacy and trail-blazing journey have left an indelible impact on Krutik.

A rigorous fact-checker, Krutik likes reporting on the technical aspects of the game as well as off-field elements. When not watching baseball, Krutik is busy playing cricket, staying up to date with the happenings around the world and hiking.

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Edited by Brad Taningco