The Freddie Freeman sweepstakes have come to an end, and the first baseman has chosen to stay in the National League.
Freeman is signing with the Dodgers after fielding interest from a handful of clubs in the week following the end of the MLB lockout. Los Angeles was one of four teams thought to be in the final mix for Freeman's services, along with the Padres, Red Sox and Rays.
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Freeman, 32, had spent his entire professional career with the Braves since the organization drafted him in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft. He made it to the majors in 2010. He has hit 271 career home runs while winning three Silver Slugger Awards, one Gold Glove and the 2020 NL MVP award.
Freeman was a catalyst for Atlanta's World Series title in 2021. He slashed .318/.360/.636 during the six-game series against the Astros and hit two home runs.
How much did it take for the Dodgers to land an impact player like Freeman? Here's what we know about Los Angeles' deal with the veteran slugger.
Freddie Freeman contract details
Freeman's contract with the Dodgers is a six-year deal worth $162 million. ESPN's Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan were the first to report the full details.
BREAKING: Freddie Freeman has agreed to terms with the Dodgers on a six-year, $162 million deal according to @JeffPassan and me.
— Kiley McDaniel (@kileymcd) March 17, 2022
Freeman's contract is the 25th-largest in terms of total value in MLB history, per Spotrac.com.
His $27 million average annual value will make him the 16th-highest-paid player in MLB for the 2022 season, per NBC Sports Washington. The AAV is the 17th-largest in league history.
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Freeman will be the fourth member of the Dodgers to make at least $20 million in salary for the 2022 season. The other three are Mookie Betts ($22.5 million), Justin Turner ($20 million) and Trevor Bauer ($35.3 million), who is on administrative leave. MLB is investigating sexual assault allegations that were made against him.
Freeman will be the Dodgers' everyday first baseman in 2022. Max Muncy, Matt Beaty and Albert Pujols were Los Angeles' primary options at the position in 2021. Muncy can now slide over to second base.
