Freddie Freeman’s $135 Million Deal Is Great Value for the Atlanta Braves
On this lovely day in February, Freddie Freeman ought to feel particularly honoured because he is reportedly the first athlete in Atlanta Braves history to earn $100 million.
Very good for the Braves, but still good for him. They just secured the services of a young, gifted athlete who is in demand for a salary that isn’t too high by today’s standards.
Initially, the actual news. With joy, the Braves said on Twitter:
According to MLB Network’s Peter Gammons and MLB.com’s Mark Bowman, Freeman’s deal is worth $135 million. Per MLBTradeRumors.com’s transaction tracker, the largest contract in Braves history was Chipper Jones’ $90 million deal from 2000. Freeman’s tops that by $45 million.
Freeman’s deal also puts him in the same high-rent district as first basemen like Adrian Gonzalez ($154 million) and Ryan Howard ($125 million). Knowing that, maybe you’re thinking the Braves got a little overzealous at the negotiating table.
But nah. Not really.
Here’s one thing: It sounds like a lot, but Freeman’s deal is worth only $16.875 million per year. In a day and age that just gave a guy who has never thrown a pitch in MLB over $20 million per year, less than $17 million per year for an established first baseman isn’t crazy. And if Freeman’s AAV isn’t crazy now, you can imagine how crazy it’s going to be in eight years.
Here’s another thing: The 2014 season will only be Freeman’s age-24 season, and so far nobody’s said anything about an opt-out in his extension.
That means the Braves have locked up eight prime years, and it’s worth noting that five of them would have been free-agent years. Freeman was set to hit the market after his age-26 season in 2016, a year younger than Prince Fielder was when he hit the market. Freeman could have made a killing.
That’s provided he continues on the path he put himself on in 2013, of course, and that leads us to still another thing: He should.
Here are some numbers (via FanGraphs) to jar your memory of what Freeman did in 2013, complete with his 2011-2012 numbers for some helpful context:
