There are modern sports terms that make no sense to Freddie Freeman. load managementThe idea of sitting now to maintain power for later simply doesn’t add up.
“You can be a Five Tool player,” Freeman said Tuesday in the Los Angeles Dodgers’ dugout before a game at Citi Field. If not, what’s the point of the first five tools?”
Over the past five seasons, no major leaguer has played as many games and scored as many hits as Freeman. 500 in 50 games, going 91-41 after his 12-1 win at home to San Diego on Saturday.
“I don’t understand just sitting there making money and doing nothing. I don’t give a damn about it,” Freeman said. “I’ll be 33 in two weeks. My career is coming to an end. Soon I won’t be able to play again. Why should I take time off now? I get it. I have not.
Freeman’s presence and philosophy underscore the evolution of the franchise as it seeks its fourth National League title in the past six seasons. The Dodgers have a solid lineup led by superstar imports like Mookie his Betts, Trea his Turner and Freeman. It wasn’t always like this.
The Dodgers once pursued match-up advantage with the enthusiasm of Homer Simpson’s softball manager Barnes. “it’s called playing percentages” — in a famous episode of “The Simpsons.” This is the team that gave every position player on the roster at least one start in the 2018 Worlds series, and Quique said Hernández hadn’t hit since his April final game. and he struck third.
The Dodgers now have eight players with at least 400 plate appearances. No other department-leading team has so many. Freeman leads his NL in at-bats for the second year in a row and brings quality to his quantity: .
“In the past, we’ve had more platoons and matching, and sometimes I think that’s a good thing,” manager Dave Roberts said. There may be players who do not play as a player, so it can be seen as a trade-off.
“But if you can run out a consistent player every day, they have a routine and you know they’re playing. That has some advantages. We’ll see who’s better this postseason ends. I don’t think we’ll know.”
Betts, Turner and Freeman have all played for teams that beat the Dodgers in the postseason. Betts did it in Boston in 2018, Turner did it in Washington in 2019, and Freeman did it in Atlanta last fall. The Dodgers won his series at the Worlds in 2020, acquiring Betts in a trade with the Red Sox.
Until then, the Dodgers were cautious — as a powerhouse anyway. Andrew Friedman, the team’s president of baseball operations, inherited the highest salary in the majors after the 2014 season. Several long-term contracts had to expire before he could make that dramatic move.
That happened in July 2020, just before the first game against the Dodgers, when Betts signed a 12-year, $365 million deal. Although it was less than the sum of his three most lucrative deals the Dodgers have ever made under Friedman (Clayton Kershaw, Justin Turner, and Kenley in his Jansen contract extension of about $237 million). , the timing was right.
Like Turner, who put Max Scherzer on a stretch run in a 2021 trade, and Freeman, who signed a six-year, $162 million deal after contract talks with the Braves stalled, talent was undeniable. .
“We’ve talked a lot about how strongly I’m against trying to build a team in free agency, but I think complementing a really good core is a very effective strategy. I think,” Friedman said. “Some things we tried in 2015, 2016 and 2017 didn’t match, but our salaries were still in a very temporary place. I went out and my core was in place and I was able to play a little more aggressively.
“So it was after ’19 that there was a very concerted effort. That’s when we ended up doing a deal with Mookie. Torea came out of us looking for pitching. And with Freddie, we talk about being by the backboard whenever a star player is available.Just be around the backboard.You never know what might happen or which way it might roll. Stay around the backboard instead of turning and running up the court.”
You might say the deal was a slam dunk. Freeman, Turner, and Betts all ranked in the top 10 in total bases in the majors this season, with Freeman leading the majors in hits (168) and doubles (43) through Saturday. Betts hit a career-high 33 homers on Saturday, and Turner, who is free after the season and is eligible for his agency, leads all his NL shortstops in the OPS with .
All these costs are staggering. According to Spotrac, the Dodgers pay him $265.6 million and the highest payroll in the majors, and players understand the mission that comes with spending.
“It shows your dedication to wanting to win a world championship,” said Will Smith, who has quietly become one of baseball’s most productive catchers. And knowing that the front office is building a team with World Series capability, I can motivate myself in the offseason.”
The Dodgers clearly got what they paid for: the best records in the sport, the most points scored, the fewest runs allowed (despite pitching injuries), and the most money. paid fan. The team surpassed his 3 million in attendance this weekend, averaging more than 48,000 fans per game.
Of course, all will eventually reset, and the Dodgers will soon have to prove themselves again. As their daily first baseman can tell you, another game is coming soon.
“When the regular season is over, you can say we’re going to be one of the best teams in the regular season,” Freeman said. “But that’s the key. It’s the regular season. We’re going to win every game, every night. That’s what we’re all about, but come October, no one cares what your record is.”
