Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers/Twitter
Freddie Freeman | Los Angeles Dodgers/Twitter
Atlanta Braves legend Chipper Jones this week criticized Freddie Freeman's decision to leave the team for the rival Los Angeles Dodgers.
Jones on Tuesday shared his disapproval of first baseman Freeman's decision to leave the Braves following the team's acquisition of Matt Olson, with Freeman choosing to sign a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers, according to CBS Sports.
"I do not agree with the way that this was handled on Freddie's side," Jones said to Atlanta radio station The Fan. "If you want to play in Atlanta, you play in Atlanta. You maybe take a little less to be happy and play in a place that is comfortable for you."
Prior to the start of the offseason, the Braves, Major League Baseball's defending champions, offered Freeman a five-year, $135 million deal, which was eventually surpassed by the offer from the Dodgers.
"I told him, 'You're playing a very dangerous game. You go out on the free-agent market, you get courted by all the pretty girls that are on the block, chances are you're not gonna come back,'" Jones said, according to CBS Sports.
When it became clear that Freeman was hesitating to take the Braves' offer, the team went on to acquire Olson from the Oakland Athletics, no longer waiting for Freeman to make his final decision, according to CBS Sports. The move to the Dodgers puts Freeman on the roster with one of the most dangerous lineups seen in the MLB in recent years, leaving the Braves to defend their championship title without him.
Alerts Sign-up