Dodgers: Atlanta GM Responds to Freddie Freeman's Remarks

Alex Anthopoulos talked about Freeman leaving the Braves.

Freddie Freeman signing with the Dodgers was quite the saga. In his introductory press conference last week. the first baseman talked about how Atlanta handled the negotiations and seemingly dismissed Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulous crying when the executive discussed losing Freeman to Los Angeles.

Freddie outlined how Atlanta was not very communicative throughout his free agency. In contract, Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers were frequently reaching out to Freeman to discuss a potential move to LA.

The LA Times provided Anthopoulos' response to Freeman's statements from his introductory presser and expressed that his tears weren't of the crocodile nature.

“At the end of the day, he’s going to be a Brave forever. It’s a wave of emotions. Just like he said. Everyone’s human. You have a wave of emotions. You’re not human if you don’t have emotion, right?”

The general manager reiterated that he was sad to see Freddie leave Atlanta. 

“It’s a sad day, no matter how you slice it up. For our clubhouse, for our fans, for me personally. And that’s being human and that’s just the reality of it. And you can’t be with someone for four years and grow close to them and go through what we’ve been through together and not have emotions.”

Some would argue that the Anthopoulos and the Braves made their own bed when they traded for Athletics first baseman Matt Olson, and subsequently gave him a lucrative extension, before Freeman had made a decision. Freeman's team contends that they had no inkling that the Braves were going to trade for Olson. Freddie admitted to being "blindsided" by the Olson acquisition. 

As soon as Anthopoulos and the Braves made that trade, Freeman knew his Atlanta career was over after 12 seasons with the club.

What's done is done. Anthopoulos played his hand and Freeman played his.