With Freddie Freeman officially signing a six-year, $162 million contract, a Los Angeles Dodgers press conference at Camelback Ranch is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT. It will be televised live by Spectrum SportsNet LA, ESPN and MLB Network.
The Freeman press conference serves as a lead-in to the Dodgers’ first Cactus League game of the year. That too will be carried by SportsNet LA, along with every Dodgers Spring Training game this year.
Joe Davis and Eric Karros are on the call from the network’s studio in El Segundo.
Freeman is not yet in the Dodgers lineup, but that should change in the coming days. In a conversation with manager Dave Roberts, the 32-year-old was said to have been ecstatic about signing with the Dodgers.
There had been a presumption Freeman and the Atlanta Braves would quickly work out terms for a new contract once free agency began, but the sides never overcame a disagreement on whether it should be six years.
It reportedly amounted to frustration with the Braves front office and seemingly opened the door for the Dodgers and other clubs to pry Freeman away from the franchise that selected him in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft.
The Dodgers reportedly attempted to lure Freeman away from Atlanta on a four-year contract with a high average annual value (AAV), but he continued to seek a deal that spanned six years. Amid reports of interest from the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays, the Dodgers increased their offer.
The 2020 National League MVP reportedly passed on a more lucrative contract in order to join L.A.
The signing ends Freeman’s tenure with the Braves, which once was considered unfathomable. He not only had developed as an All-Star homegrown talent but also established strong roots within the community.
Now Freeman gets a chance to help his hometown Dodgers pursue another World Series, even if he grew up an L.A. Angels fan.
Freddie Freeman press conference live stream
Press conference LIVE from Camelback Ranch. https://t.co/jZy3n9HNwZ
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) March 18, 2022
Freeman gives Dodgers roster four MVPs
The 2022 Dodgers are the fifth team in MLB history to have four MVPs on their roster in the same season. They are doing so in back-to-back years, as the signing of Albert Pujols helped them first achieve the rare feat.
The Dodgers’ group of former MVP winners now consists of Clayton Kershaw (National League, 2014), Cody Bellinger (NL, 2018), Mookie Betts (American League, 2018) and Freeman (NL, 2020).
The 1978 Cincinnati Reds, 1982 L.A. Angels and 1996 Boston Red Sox also had a roster with four MVPs.
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