From 1995 to 2012, Chipper Jones was the face of the Braves, bringing the organization a World Series and an MVP award. It was a somber day for Braves fans when he finally hung it up, but Jones knew he was leaving the organization in good hands, passing the torch to Freddie Freeman, and it’s remarkable how similar their careers have been thus far.
The two have become great friends over the years. If you remember, back in 2014, after Chipper was already retired, he came to Freeman’s rescue on an ATV during a snowstorm in Atlanta.
The two have also been through similar free agency situations. Jones had the opportunity to be courted by every team in free agency but never did. To end his career, he signed two team-friendly three-year contracts. The Braves won’t get so lucky with Freeman, though. He’ll test unrestricted free agency this winter, looking for a mega-deal, and he won’t have any shortage of suitors after winning an MVP and World Series in the past two seasons.
However, when thinking of people who might know exactly what Freeman is going through, few are more familiar than Chipper Jones. He sat down with Jayson Stark of The Athletic yesterday to discuss the odds of the Braves’ first baseman leaving in free agency. Depending on who you are, his answer could be encouraging or discouraging.
I know some Braves who believe there’s absolutely no way Freeman walks; others think there’s no way the Braves hand him the mega-deal he desires, but most lie somewhere in the middle.
I’m right about where Jones is at 10-20%. When I handed out my odds for each Braves free agent returning, I had Freeman at 90%. Jones seems to believe it is a little higher than that, but our sentiment is the same. Freeman clearly wants to be in Atlanta, and eventually, the Braves will likely give him an offer that satisfies him. However, things can always change when every team in the league courts you. If an organization can wow him with a proposal that takes him into retirement, his mindset could alter quickly.
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