Dodgers excited about Freddie Freeman: ‘It’s gonna be fun’

Freddie Freeman’s six-year, $162 million contract hasn’t yet been made official, but that didn’t stop the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch in Arizona on Thursday from talking about their soon-to-be new teammate.

The Dodgers are holding a press conference at noon on Friday, that will be televised by SportsNet LA and ESPN. The team did not say what the press conference is for, but use your imagination.

Manager Dave Roberts said Thursday on the Rich Eisen Show on Peacock that he spoke with Freeman on Wednesday night, and that the deal will be finalized once Freeman passes his physical.

“If it comes to pass as we all expect, it’s a special team, a special lineup,” Roberts told Eisen. This guy is one of the best players in all of baseball. To acquire a guy like that to an already very good ball club is crazy.”

Jimmy Nelson in the clubhouse jokingly referred to the Dodgers’ collection of talent as “Space Jam” like, per Bill Plunkett of the Orange County Register. Shortstop Trea Turner agreed. Per Plunkett:

“It’s what I said to somebody last night,” Turner said of his immediate reaction. “They said, ‘You guys got Freddie Freeman?’ I said ‘The Monstars.’ I just responded with ‘The Monstars.’”

Max Muncy, who started 150 of 252 Dodgers games (59.5 percent) at first base in the regular season and playoffs since the start of 2020, has been especially welcome of the first baseman Freeman. Muncy has also started 42 games at second base and 17 more at third base over the last two seasons, highlighting his versatility.

“I can’t wait for him to get here, it’s gonna be fun,” Muncy said, per Jack Harris of the Los Angeles Times. “He’s a fun guy to have in the clubhouse, fun guy to have on the field. This team’s gonna be unbelievable this year.”

The expectations are usually sky high for the Dodgers, which comes with two 106-win seasons in the last three years, plus a .717 win percentage and a World Series championship in the season in between. But with Freeman added to an already potent lineup, projections for the team are even higher.

Dylan Hernandez at the LA Times wrote, “they have the weapons to be the greatest offense in the history of the game.”

Ben Clemens at FanGraphs said the Dodgers “are building a team for all seasons.”

The Dodgers seem well aware of said expectations.

“Obviously, the expectations are higher now,” Clayton Kershaw said, per Fabian Ardaya at The Athletic. “But that’s fun. That’s what we want.”

Links

• Mike Petriello at MLB.com looked at how high the Dodgers’ ceiling could be with Freeman.
• Bradford Doolittle at ESPN lamented Freeman leaving Atlanta and wrote about the beauty of long player-team relationships.
• Sarah Langs at MLB.com wrote about how rare it is for one team to have four former MVP winners, like the Dodgers have in Freeman, Kershaw, Mookie Betts, and Cody Bellinger.