Did Freddie Freeman's Agent Withhold A Contract Offer From Him?!

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Hey Friends,

When Freddie Freeman decided to leave the Atlanta Braves last year and sign with the Los Angeles Dodgers, there were shockwaves sent throughout Major League Baseball.

The Braves had selected Freeman in the second round, with the 78th overall selection, of the 2007 MLB Draft. They paid him $400,000 to forgo his college scholarship, and he spent the next 15 years building up one of the most impressive resumes in baseball.

Freddie Freeman’s Career Highlights & Awards

• 5x MLB All-Star

• 2018 Gold Glove Award

• 2020 National League MVP

• 2021 World Series Champion

Freeman had started a family in Atlanta, Georiga, and after helping the team win a championship in 2021, many Braves fans saw him as this generation’s Chipper Jones.

So when he turned down a reported five-year deal worth $140 million from the Atlanta Braves to sign a six-year deal worth $162 million, with $57 million deferred, from the Los Angeles Dodgers, many Braves fans assumed that he was just chasing the money.

But new details have come out that have made people question that assumption.

After an emotional return to Atlanta this week for the first time since signing with the LA Dodgers, news broke that Freddie Freeman had fired his agent Casey Close.

Why? Well, according to Doug Gottlieb, it’s because Casey Close never told Freddie Freeman about the Braves’ final offer—which may have changed his eventual decision.

This is obviously just a rumor at this point. Freddie Freeman declined to comment on it before last night’s game, and Casey Close has already released a statement saying, “there is no truth whatsoever to what Doug Gottlieb recklessly tweeted, and I would testify to that under oath. We are currently evaluating all legal options in this matter.”

So rather than continue to speculate on what may or may not have happened—that’s something for the MLB Players Association to look at—I think it’s probably more important to look at the incentives that may or may not have driven this outcome.

For example, Freddie Freeman reportedly wanted an extra year on the deal from Atlanta. But when you consider the final dollar amount ($162 million with $57 million deferred vs. $140 million) after taxes and living expenses, the difference between those two contracts, in Los Angeles and Atlanta, is much less than you might initially think.

But on the other hand, this doesn’t make much sense for Casey Close either. He is a big-time agent that has negotiated $1.3 billion in contracts for 35+ clients, like Clayton Kershaw and Paul Goldschmidt. And Forbes puts his total commissions north of $63 million so far, meaning he might retire with $100 million-plus in commissions.

So at a typical commission rate of four percent, would he really risk his entire career for an additional $500k after taxes? Maybe, but that obviously wouldn’t be very smart.

That makes me think there is more to this story. Because while some people will argue that fiduciary duty doesn’t apply, as Freddie Freeman ended up signing for the largest dollar amount possible, sports agents still have an obligation to act in their client's best interest—and where he prefers to live would certainly classify as that.

So let’s see what happens. I assume more information will become available over the next few weeks and months. But if this is true, it’s something that Major League Baseball and its Players Association need to make sure never happens again.

I hope everyone has a great day. We’ll talk tomorrow.

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