ATLANTA – It’s hard to imagine Atlanta baseball without Freddie Freeman. It’s also hard to imagine baseball in Houston without Carlos Correa. But with the Braves holding a 3-1 World Series lead, just one victory away from securing the title, Sunday night’s fifth game could be the end of the road for both players, who will officially become free agents on five days. after the World Cup. The series ends.
Both players were drafted by their current teams as teenagers, made their big-league debuts at 20, and quickly became star players at the highest level. They are appreciated by their fans. And yet the baseball business shows us year after year that things change.
“I try not to think about it,” Freeman said before Game 3. “Yeah, I did – I was talking to my agent yesterday actually, and it sort of appeared to be three more games here. I haven’t considered playing anywhere else because I haven’t gotten to that point yet.
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In his 12th season with the Braves, this is Freeman’s first trip to the World Series. For Correa, this is his third trip in seven seasons to the major championships. For those three trips – 2017, 2019 and 2021 – he was the shortstop in an infield with Jose Altuve in second, Alex Bregman in third and Yuli Gurriel in first base. This kind of consistency and cohesion is rare in today’s game, and it’s one of the reasons it’s hard to imagine Houston without Correa.
“We’ve enjoyed all the years we’ve played together,” Correa said ahead of Game 4. “We have done great things. We wrote history. I love this group of guys with all my heart. So right now we’re just focusing on the present and trying to win this series. Then we can talk about all of this later.
There will be no shortage of teams interested in both players.
When Sporting News’ free agent rankings are released later this week (spoiler!), Correa – who just turned 27 last month – will top the list and Freeman will be solidly in the top 10. That’s the first time for both players in the free agent market, although it will be Freeman’s second lucrative contract. Freeman, who turned 32 in September, and the Braves are at the end of an eight-year, $ 135 million extension they signed in February 2014 that bought back several seasons of officiating and free agent .
“I’ve been wearing this uniform since 2007, (when) I was able to put on a Braves uniform with the Gulf Coast League team,” Freeman said. “It’s all I’ve ever known. But it’s a little strange that by next Sunday, Monday, I can be a free agent, which is very, very strange for me. It didn’t hit me because I’m trying to push it off because a few more important things are at stake right now.
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For years, Freeman wore the unofficial mantle of “baseball’s most underrated player” because, despite his success, the Braves weren’t letter carriers in October and Freeman didn’t get as much support in the vote. MVP that Atlanta fans thought he deserved. Those days are over, however. Freeman won the 2021 NL MVP and now has his Braves on the brink of the World Series championship.
“He means a lot to this franchise, to me personally, to our organization, to this clubhouse, our team. There’s no way to quantify it, ”said Atlanta manager Brian Snitker. “What he brings is so important. But we all know when it’s over, we’ll see. Hope he’s back. But I don’t know how it will all work. It’s not really my field. Would I like to find him? Absoutely. I think everyone in this room would love to see it again, but I also know it’s a big deal and things happen.
And what does Freeman think? He doesn’t exactly show his poker face.
“I think everyone in this room knows I want to stay here,” he said.
Correa was the No.1 pick in the 2012 draft, and in many ways he was the most important piece of Houston’s complete rebuild. Houston has been the No. 1 overall pick three years in a row; they chose Correa in 2012, Mark Appel in 2013 and Brady Aiken in 2013. Appel’s career was derailed by injuries and Aiken did not sign, after a dispute between the player and the team over medical problems .
It’s important to note, however, that the Astros picked Bregman No.2 next year with the compensation pick for not signing Aiken. The same month Bregman was picked, Correa made his MLB debut. It’s a hell of a month for the club, eh?
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Correa immediately joined the big leagues, winning the AL Rookie of the Year award despite only playing 99 games. He’s had some injury issues – he’s only played 140 games or more twice, including 2021 – but his value to the team has nothing to do with it.
“He’s a very, very intelligent person and baseball player. He’s very dedicated, ”said manager Dusty Baker. “He’s not the oldest, but he’s got – you know, tremendous leadership qualities. He is ahead of the game in most areas of the game that day, the day before, and the following days. I mean, this guy, his attitude is still the same. You can’t tell when he’s standing or when he’s downstairs, whether he’s doing well or he’s doing wrong. He’s a guy these guys gravitate towards and admire.
In his 77 career playoff games with the Astros, Correa has 18 home runs and 57 RBIs, to go with an .845 OPS. He struggled a bit at home plate in the World Series, but he made several outstanding defensive plays, and his strong arm has been exposed on several occasions, especially in double plays. Correa’s defense – he was named the Fielding Bible’s best shortstop in 2021 – is another reason he’s going to land a huge contract somewhere.
“We obviously know it’s a reality that this could be the last series we all play together. Hopefully not, ”Gurriel said. “There is always hope that he will return. Since being here, I feel really comfortable and I feel really good with the infield that we have here. So I always hope that this is not the end.
He’s not the only one – in Houston or Atlanta – to hope the star stays home.
