It was reported on Saturday afternoon that Atlanta Braves superstar first baseman Freddie Freeman, who is now a free agent, was offered – and rejected – a very large contract from the team with whom he just won a ring and with whom he has gone on record as saying that he wants to remain with. And although the details of the offer have not been made public, the 32-year-old Villa Park, CA native and second-round draft pick in 2007 by Atlanta out of El Modena High School in Orange, CA previously rejected a five-year / $135 million deal offered to him earlier this season in an obvious attempt to avoid this exact situation.

Although unconfirmed, Freeman, through Excel Sports Management, is reportedly seeking a deal in the six-year / $200 million range – a $20 million bump from the six-year / $180 million projection of industry experts.

There is no disputing that Freeman is among the very best in the game today, with a 12-year career slash line of .295 / .384 / .509 / .893 that includes 271 home runs and 941 RBI. Add to that the fact that he slashed .318 / .360 / .636 / .996 in the just-concluded 2021 World Series during which he hit two crucial home runs and drove in five, and that six-year / $200 million thing doesn’t see as far-fetched as initially thought.

The point to all of this and taking absolutely nothing from the tremendous talents of Freeman – and every other Major League Baseball player seeking lofty and lengthy contracts that would (will) pay them upwards of $30 million+ per year is that money has to come from somewhere, and you get one guess as to where a good chunk of it does.

Yep … from you and me – and I am most certainly not only referring to the Atlanta Braves and/or only Freddie Freeman. Don’t forget, our very own Mookie Betts is into the Dodgers to the tune of 12 years / $365 million that runs through the 2032 season.

Oh sure, a significant amount of this money comes from lucrative television deals and from major corporate sponsors. But when you figure in ticket costs, parking costs, a couple of Dodger Dogs, and a ridiculously over-priced beer (or soft drink), it’s the average fan who foots a significant portion of those $30 million+ contracts.

And it’s not just those who physically attend Major League Baseball games. For those who enjoy watching games from the comfort of their own living room, think about it the next time you write that check (or pay online) to Spectrum Sportsnet LA. Fans are even paying for a good chunk of those aforementioned lucrative television deals. Gone are the days when you could simply flip on Fox and watch a Dodgers game for free on regular television. All of a sudden, listening to Rick and Charley (or Rick and Tim) an AM 570 radio isn’t so bad … and you don’t have to deal with that obnoxious 10-second delay that you have to on the television broadcasts.

But hey, it’s baseball, right? It’s our national pastime, right? And more importantly, it’s our Dodgers, right?

See you at The Ravine.

…Dodger Dog in hand.

Play Ball!

  *  *  *  *  *  *