It’s no surprise that Freddie Freeman has a long list of potential suitors vying for his services, but this is a report I never expected to hear. According to MLB insider Jon Heyman, the Tampa Bay Rays made an offer to Freeman before the lockout began.
Sources: The low-revenue Tampa Bay Rays made superstar Freddie Freeman an offer before the lockout. Yankees very interested. Jays, Dodgers, others could fit. It’s a surprise Braves didn’t lock him up before lockout; they remain in mix. (New daily feature: actual baseball news)
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) March 7, 2022
Now, I highly doubt Freeman is seriously considering joining the Rays. Tampa Bay has one of the smallest payrolls in baseball, and I can’t imagine they can hang around with the big boys like the Dodgers and Yankees, who are also attempting to pry Freeman away from the Braves. However, I’m unbelievably intrigued by what the Rays’ offer may have been. Here’s one of the best responses I saw to Heyman’s tweet:
Rays were willing to go all the way up to 25 an hour with dental before freeman declined and moved on
— Clay Buchholz fan account (@BuchholzReturn) March 7, 2022
Who knows what the Rays offered, but if they ever were able to pony up enough money to convince Freeman to sign, it might be exactly what they need to get over the hump. Tampa Bay has been one of the best teams in baseball over the last four seasons, making it to the World Series just two years ago. Adding Freeman to the mix would once again make them the clear favorites to win the ultra-competitive AL East.
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