The only person responsible for the Braves losing Freddie Freeman, and it’s not Alex Anthopoulo

Freddie Freeman’s insane World Series performance in 2024 almost never happened. While it’s now hard to imagine the Los Angeles Dodgers without Freeman, he almost never left the Atlanta Braves for the Dodgers. There’s one person to thank for that: Freeman’s former agent Casey Close.

Freeman’s free agency following the Braves’ 2021 World Series title can best be described as a controversial, year-long saga. At first it seemed simple. There was mutual interest in Freeman staying with the Braves. The team made him several offers, but he ultimately chose to sign with the Dodgers.

What went wrong? According to an ESPN investigation, after months of stalled negotiations, Freeman’s then-agent Casey Close gave the Braves a tough choice that would ultimately take all offers off the table.

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Close played hardball against the Braves during the negotiating process and offers were on the table for months, leading to a disastrous final showdown. Money was less of an issue for the two camps: the real sticking point was contract duration.

The Braves wanted to sign a then 32-year-old Freeman to a five-year contract, while Freeman wanted an extra season. The Braves tried to entice Freeman to give up his sixth-year requirement by steadily increasing their five-year offer during the negotiation process from $125 million in the summer of 2021 to $140 million in early 2022.

On March 11, 2022, everything broke. Although Close denies this, multiple reports state that he has backed the Braves into a corner. They had a short window to accept a six-year, $175 million deal or a five-year, $165 million deal. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos didn’t back down and immediately began looking at other options at first base.

Two days later, the Braves traded for Matt Olson and the next day he signed a monstrous eight-year extension worth $168 million with the Braves. Thus ended Freeman’s time in Atlanta.

The way negotiations broke down for the All-Star first baseman was heartbreaking. He really believed he would stay in Atlanta.

On March 18, Freeman officially signed a six-year, $162 million deal with the Dodgers. As much as he made it clear he intended to stay in Atlanta, some within the Dodgers organization feared he viewed his new team as a consolation prize. After Freeman’s first game against his former club in June 2022, Dodgers CEO Clayton Kershaw expressed concern that the team might be “second fiddle” to Freeman.

Freeman made it clear he didn’t like how his camp handled negotiations with the Braves by firing Casey Close and Excel Sports Management after the Dodgers series in Atlanta.

Then it got better. Freeman was able to completely break away from the Braves and what must have been a stressful, emotional and ultimately disappointing contract negotiation. He has made it very clear that he is happy in Los Angeles

Los Angeles has made it very clear that they are happy to have him. “Freddie” chants are an instant fan favorite and are common at Dodger Stadium, especially this season when he has needed some extra encouragement.

The Dodgers and their fans rallied around him and his family after his 3-year-old son Max was diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome and continued to support him as he recovers from an ankle sprain suffered just before the postseason.

To say Freeman has achieved greatness in the World Series might be the understatement of the century. He immediately hit a classic walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the 10th inning to cap an intense Game 1 and then hit a home run in each of the next two games, bringing his World Series home run streak to five. games dating back to the 2021 World Series with the Braves.

While it was certainly painful for him to leave the Braves and fire Close with the Dodgers just one win away from a World Series title, everything worked out well for Freeman.