Freddie Freeman, the former MVP who’s won two World Series with the LA Dodgers and is gearing up for a third, has been dropping some absolutely gut-wrenching hints about his future, and it’s got the entire league watching. Retirement, previously pegged for when he hit 40, is now something he’s considering even sooner, and the reasons are hitting hard.
The Weight of the Game
This isn’t some offhand comment from Freeman, who left the Braves after winning a title to come home to California. No, this is real talk. He’s previously mentioned the idea of retiring at 40, which would mark an even 20 years in the bigs. “That was just floated because that would be an even 20 years, I’ll be 40. I got a family that I would like to go home to. But I do love this game. I love playing it. But for me, if I can do four, that’ll be 20 years. I think that’s enough,” he said. You can hear the love for the game in that, right? But more recently, the weight of missing his youngest daughter grow up has become a massive focal point. “I’m missing things for something she’ll never know,” Freeman confessed. “She’s not going to know I missed these things either. But it weighs on me and my heart. I think everybody who knows me knows it weighs on me hard. I don’t like seeing my daughter grow up on a FaceTime call. When I’m sitting in a hotel room by myself at night after a game, I’m just like, ‘Oh man, what am I doing?” His contract expires at the end of 2027, so this isn’t just a hypothetical. This is a real question mark looming over a legend.
Prospect Power and a Position Puzzle
So, with Freeman’s future up in the air, what’s a team with World Series aspirations to do? Former Dodgers sports writer Blake Harris has a plan that’s making waves: move top prospect Josue De Paula to first base. Harris isn’t pulling punches on De Paula’s current defensive skills, either, stating, “It really is remarkable how truly terrible De Paula is in left field. Just seems like there’s no other path forward than to move him to 1B in 2028 when the Freddie contract is finally up.” Yikes! But hey, if the kid can’t field a fly ball, maybe a new position is the answer. It could be brilliant. Imagine De Paula learning the ropes from one of the best first basemen in the game, soaking up all that knowledge from Freeman himself. The outfield seems pretty stacked for LA already, so this move could make a ton of sense regardless of Freeman’s timeline. De Paula, even in his brief call-up, flashed that raw power and undeniable patience at the plate. He’s got a future so bright you need shades, and maybe, just maybe, it’s at first base.
With Freeman eyeing a third World Series title in LA, the talk of his eventual departure is hitting different now. Whether he plays out his contract through 2027 or makes an even tougher call sooner, the Dodgers are clearly starting to think about what life without their superstar first baseman looks like. Keep an eye on De Paula; this could be the future taking shape right before our eyes.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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