Atlanta Braves: 4 possible replacements for Freddie Freeman
By Kevin Henry
The Atlanta Braves could sign free agent first baseman Anthony Rizzo
Projected to receive a three-year, $45 million deal this offseason, the 32-year-old Rizzo is a free agent after being acquired by the New York Yankees from the Chicago Cubs prior to last season’s trade deadline. In 200 plate appearances in pinstripes, Rizzo slashed .249/.340/.428 with eight home runs and 21 RBI. His 110 OPS+ with the Yankees was just slightly lower than the 112 OPS+ he put up during his final months with the Cubs in 2021 (spanning 92 games and 376 plate appearances).
Rizzo is a three-time All-Star, four-time Gold Glove winner, and helped the Cubs break their World Series drought in 2016. He’s also someone who has had conversations with the Yankees about coming back to the team in 2022.
Read any of the reviews of Rizzo since his 2019 campaign where he posted a 139 OPS+ and you will see that he has been a solid player, but the “wow” moments have been few and far between. He’s also a player who will put the ball into play on most locations, striking out just 15.8 percent of the time in his 11-year career.
And here’s another thing to think about when it comes to Rizzo. In 15 career games (67 plate appearances) at Truist Park (the home park for the Braves), he’s slashing just .161/.284/.268. If the Braves bring him on board, maybe he can find his rhythm at the stadium coming out of the home dugout?
Next. 3 possible landing spots for Freddie Freeman. dark
Of the options available, a trade with the A’s for Olson would likely produce the best results for the Braves, but also cost the most in terms of prospects likely needed to make the trade work. However, the best option for the Braves seems to be to resign Freeman while understanding the financial impact it could have on the franchise.