The Braves made the most challenging decision of this offseason Monday afternoon. Atlanta chose not to re-sign the face of their franchise, Freddie Freeman; instead, Alex Anthopoulos traded for All-Star first baseman Matt Olson.
It couldn’t have been an easy decision for AA. Freddie has been in the organization since he was 17-years-old; he won an MVP then led the Braves to their first World Series since 1995 — a true storybook ending. This was a decision that was going to affect an entire city, and nobody was more torn up about it than the Braves GM.
Alex Anthopoulos on his Braves tenure: “This was the hardest transaction I’ve ever had to make.”
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) March 14, 2022
It wasn’t just AA’s words either; members of the media noted that during the press conference, Anthopoulos fought back the tears as he discussed the decision:
Alex Anthopoulos fought back tears as he discussed the Olson trade, which he said was the toughest decision he’s had to make as a GM, and it was clear he meant the Freddie Freeman aspect of it without saying his name.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) March 14, 2022
Freddie’s legacy had a decent chance of being tarnished if he signed with the Dodgers over the Braves, but now that Atlanta’s front office made it for him, Braves Country will forever cherish the memories they have of him.
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