Champs gearing up for repeat run
Five issues facing Atlanta:
Freddie Freeman: Freeman has made it clear he wants to stay in Atlanta. Atlanta has made it loud and clear it wants him back.
The trouble is they have a failure to communicate on what’s fair. Freeman is seeking a six-year contract worth about $180 million. Atlanta has offered a fiveyear deal worth about $135 million.
The sides have yet to find a compromise, and 3 ½ months since winning the World Series, Freeman remains unsigned. The Los Angeles Dodgers and perhaps the New York Yankees are expected to take a serious run at him, with the Dodgers posing as a threat considering Freeman makes his offseason home in Orange County, California.
If Atlanta can’t sign him, it has had exploratory talks with the Oakland Athletics about Matt Olson, a deal that would cost the champs cherished prospects. Olson, who’s nearly five years younger than Freeman, is from the Atlanta area and coming off a career year. He hit 39 homers with 111 RBI and a .911 OPS.
First baseman Anthony Rizzo also is a free agent and would come at a much cheaper price.
Yet it’s hard to imagine Freeman, the 2020 National League MVP, not returning to Atlanta.
Tweaking
the roster: Atlanta is pretty well set going into the spring and won’t need to panic like a whole lot of its peers. It will have all of its position players return providing it can re-sign Freeman. It will have its top three starting pitchers, top four relievers and every member of its coaching staff.
Marcell Ozuna: What will happen to Ozuna, who missed most of last season when placed on the restricted list after his arrest on domestic violence charges? He is back, and he is eligible to be on the opening-day roster.
Ozuna’s felony charge was dropped and all of the remaining charges against him will be dropped if he completes a pretrial diversion program.
He’s comfortable as a DH, and Atlanta no longer has to worry about his defensive flaws now that a universal DH has been added. He hit .362 with 40 RBI and 1.155 OPS as a DH in 2020, when universal DH was used.
Acuña in center? Acuña, Atlanta’s
best player, is expected to be back no later than May. He has spent his offseason rehabbing from surgery for a torn ACL. He’ll also be able to be used as an occasional DH while fully recovering.
Yet Acuña is expected to be playing right field and not center. Atlanta was hoping to have top prospect Cristian Pache play center, but he struggled and was sent back to Class AAA. If Pache can’t cut it, Atlanta may have to move Acuña to center or try Adam Duvall or Guillermo Heredia. They also have Michael Harris II, their top prospect scheduled to open the season at Class AA.
Repeat performance: Can Atlanta become the first NL team to win back-toback World Series since the Cincinnati Reds in 1975-76?
This team didn’t have Acuña since July, while starting catcher Travis d’Arnaud missed most of the year. The team brought in a whole new outfield at the trade deadline and yet didn’t play a single playoff elimination game. Atlanta also has depth on the pitching and catching staffs, which could lead to trade help.