Freddie Freeman and Atlanta Braves showing nothing lasts forever

Will he or won’t he? That is the question that the Atlanta Braves and their fanbase are asking themselves about Freddie Freeman. The expectation at the start of free agency, and even now during the lockout, is that he will return to the Braves.

That is no longer the foregone conclusion it had been. Freeman is reportedly frustrated with the Braves and the fact that a contract has not come together yet. Meanwhile, he has been linked to the Dodgers and Yankees in recent weeks, with the Yankees expected to take a “significant” run at bringing him in once the lockout ends.

A divorce between Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves?

To paraphrase Bad Religion in their song You, eternity is a long time. The idea that anything will last forever, especially in professional sports, is laughable. Players change teams constantly with those who spend their entire careers with one franchise becoming a true rarity.

But that was supposed to be the case with Freeman. He has spent his entire career with the Braves since his selection in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft. Freeman has become the face of the franchise, the player that ties the Bobby Cox Era to today. He is supposed to be someone who eventually has his number retired in Atlanta and a Braves’ cap on his head should he be inducted in Cooperstown.

That may no longer be the case. Those rumors that other teams, particularly the Yankees, are going to be pursuing Freeman with fervor once the lockout ends are not going away. The more that other teams show that they want Freeman on their team while the Braves delay makes it more likely that he will head elsewhere.

Chances are, that is not the result that Freeman wants. The Braves just won the World Series and have an exciting roster. He could not only remain on a team that has postseason aspirations for the foreseeable future, but burnish his Hall of Fame resume on the only team he has ever been a part of. However, in order for that to happen, the Braves have to step up as well. They have not displayed a willingness to do so to this point.

Freddie Freeman was expected to remain with the Atlanta Braves. Instead, his trek in free agency may remind us that nothing lasts forever.