Steady Freddie

                             Since free agency began back in the 70’s, there have been a couple of times when the Dodgers signed a player who brought instant excitement to the fans. Having pilfered a star from another team without giving up a favorite player was a new thing and kind of exciting. 

                                   There have been more than a few stinkers signed too. But when the Dodgers signed Freddie Freeman after the 2021 season, I was elated. I had always admired his play, and I knew he was a solid clubhouse guy. He was one of those guys who it seemed you could always count on a .300 season, with 20 plus long balls and a bunch of runs driven in. 

Freeman introduced

                                   The Dodgers had lost several stars to free agency that winter. Jansen, Seager, Pujols. Max Muncy had been injured on the last day of the 2021 season so I was not thinking the Dodgers would sign a first baseman because Max would be back.  But the Braves, in what seemed to me a little disrespectful to their homegrown long-time star, traded for Oakland’s Matt Olson on March 14th, 2022, closing the door on any chance of Freeman returning. They then signed him to an 8-year contract worth about 180 million dollars. And it includes an option for a 9th year at 20 million. 

                                  Four days later, the Dodgers signed Freeman to a 6-year, 162-million-dollar deal. Andrew Freidman had re-tooled the pitching rotation, and now, with Seager gone, Muncy would switch between 1B, 2B, DH and 3rd. Trea Turner took over SS and Freddie was the full time first baseman. Lux was the full time second baseman.

                                  Freeman basically became a fan favorite overnight. From the time he reported to camp in Arizona, you would see a lot of fans sporting Freddie’s #5. In his first spring training with the Dodgers, he hit .350 in 9 games. He had a homer and 2 driven in. But when the regular season started, he showed the fans what they had gotten. 

                                   Freeman batted .321 in the first half with 13 homers and 59 driven in. He also had 31 doubles. He would hit .331 the second half, with 16 doubles and 8 more homers. He finished with 49 doubles, 21 homers, 100 RBIs and a .325 BA. He led the league in OBP at .407. The Dodgers had their best season ever winning 111 games. Freddies first playoff experience with the Dodgers did not end well for the team, but Freddie did his part with a .357 avg, a homer and three driven in. After winning game one, the Dodgers dropped the next three to the Padres. 

                                  Heading into the 23 season, the Dodgers had lost some significant free agents, including SS, Trea Turner, Dodger fan favorite, 3B, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger was non-tendered. So, they had lost some significant fire power. Andrew Freidman more or less did Freeman a favor and signed his old teammate, Jason Heyward. They also brought in veteran David Peralta, and DH J D Martinez. 

                                  They had penciled in Gavin Lux to take over at SS for Turner, but in what turned out to be an astute move, he traded prospect Jacob Amaya for SS Miguel Rojas. Rojas was penciled in as the utility guy along with CT-3. That idea went south when Lux tore his meniscus and was ruled out for the year. They put young James Outman in center field every day alongside of Mookie. The left field would be a platoon between Heyward, Peralta and Taylor.

                                   Muncy, now healthy, moved to third base and rookie Miguel Vargas started the season as the second baseman. Freeman got off to another hot start. By mid-season he was hitting .320, with 17 homers and 61 driven in. For the second season in a row, he had 31 doubles at the break. He was even better in the second half, hitting .345 with 12 homers and 41 driven in, to finish with a .331/29/102 mark. He also became the first Dodger to record 200 or more hits in many years. He hit 59 doubles, breaking the old team record of 52. His OPS was .976. He would finish 3rd to Acuna and Mookie in the MVP vote. 

                                  But in the playoffs, Freddie and Mookie both had a bad series against the D-Backs. Freddie hit only .100, and Mookie had an ofer the series. Knocked out early again, you just had to know that the Dodgers would make some big changes in 2024. 

                                 Martinez left as a free agent; Lux was moved back to SS during spring training, Mookie was moved to second base permanently, and then moved to SS when Lux began having issues at SS. Kike, who had returned in a trade in 23, Taylor and Rojas, were the backup infielders. And in a blockbuster move, the Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani to a record contract. He would be the DH. They also signed Teoscar Hernandez to a one-year deal and traded for starting pitcher, Tyler Glasnow. The next big strike was signing Japanese Ace, Yoshinobu Yamamoto to a long-term deal.    

                               While Freddie has been better than the major league average so far this year, in his eyes, he is underperforming. As we head into the All-Star break, he is hitting .293 with 14 homers and 61 RBIs. The team as a whole is banged up, with Mookie and Max on the IL. The only starting pitcher who has not spent time on the IL is James Paxton. Although he sports a 7-2 record, his performance has been to say the least, uneven. They have three rookies in the pitching rotation with Buehler, Kershaw, Yamamoto, May, Gonsolin, Glasnow all on the IL, and Bobby Miller in the minors. Fans are screaming for the front office to trade for some more pop in the offense.

                              They have a rookie in centerfield, and except for Hernandez, a platoon in whatever field he is not playing. Rojas has been forced into a regular starting job and they are mixing and matching at 2nd and 3rd. The break is coming at a very opportune time. Whatever they might do at the deadline, the one constant I believe they can count on is Freddie Freeman. I have no doubt he will be at or over .300 when the season ends with 20 plus homers and close to 100 driven in. And the Freddie, Freddie, Freddie, chants will be ringing at Dodger Stadium. He is still the one guy I would hate to see at bat in a game on the line situation if I were the opposing pitcher.  

                               I do not have favorite players anymore, but if I did, Freddie would be high on my list. I really enjoy watching his at bats. He is the consummate professional hitter. Every at bat, he tries to take the ball where it is pitched, but he also has the ability to turn on the inside pitch and blast one over the RF wall. I can’t wait to see how he does in the second half. 

                                 Fabulous Freddie starts the last 65 with a bang, a grand slam that snatched victory from defeat. And Gavin Stone had a solid start.