Blue Jays: Last offseason interests and how they are doing so far this year

Freddie Freeman

Signed a six-year deal worth $162 million with the Los Angeles Dodgers

What initially started out as a conversation before the lockout turned into free agency pandemonium amongst the fanbase when it came to Freddie Freeman and the Blue Jays organization. Former MLB power hitter Carlos Baerga became the talk of the town when he predicted the former Atlanta Braves star would be taking his talents North of the border and the Blue Jays were reportedly very interested in the lefty slugger, along with the Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Ultimately, Freeman decided to head out West and signed a six-year deal with the Dodgers worth $162 million. While it would have been amazing to add his power-hitting left-handed bat to the Jays’ lineup along with his solid play at first base, the overall fit on the club didn’t make a lot of sense given the presence of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. on the right side of the diamond. The two could have platooned the position along while switching out as the DH or Guerrero could have been pushed back to third base, a defensive predicament for the club given his past history at the position.

So far this year, Freeman is living up to his monster contract, owning a .899 OPS on the season while sitting in the high percentile in numerous offensive categories like xwOBA (97th percentile), xBA (93rd percentile), and xSLG (97th percentile). He is also tied for the lead with Matt Olson at 18 doubles so far while also adding four home runs and 28 RBI, which could have gone a long way for the Jays this season considering the RISP issues the club is having through the first two months of the season.