5 big things to watch for when the MLB lockout ends

Oct 19, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates with team mates after scoring in the fourth inning of game three of the 2021 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 19, 2021; Los Angeles, California, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) celebrates with team mates after scoring in the fourth inning of game three of the 2021 NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
1 of 5
Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves.
Freddie Freeman, Atlanta Braves. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

While the MLB lockout drags on and all of us look at the calendar, wondering what will happen with spring training and the 2022 regular season, there are also plenty of big decisions by MLB teams that have been put on hold because of the lockout.

With Major League free agent signings and trades on hold because of the MLB lockout, it feels like we are in the middle of a television series that leaves us with a cliffhanger and we have to wait until next season to find out who really shot J.R. (or Mr. Burns) or if Jon Snow was really dead. There were so many rumors and plot twists about which player might be signing with which team before the lockout that just … stopped.

What we’re watching after the MLB lockout: Will Freddie Freeman continue to be with the Atlanta Braves?

Maybe the biggest cliffhanger of all comes from the World Champion Atlanta Braves and the face of the franchise, Freddie Freeman. Does Freeman really want a six-year deal? Will the Braves find a way to reach a deal with Freeman, or will the 32-year-old first baseman be snatched up by the New York Yankees or Los Angeles Dodgers?

Freeman’s future home is one of the biggest questions of the offseason and could be a game-changer for not only the Braves, but other franchises as well.