THE SPLIT OF Freddie Freeman and the Atlanta Braves sent shock waves through the industry: It felt like the divorce of a seemingly happy couple, bringing to an end more than a decade of apparent joy and contentment. Freeman, the 2020 NL MVP, was a beloved favorite of Atlanta fans. For years, the Braves had presented him as the worthy heir to a legacy passed along by Henry Aaron, and by Chipper Jones, once Freeman's teammate and now a close friend.
But after Freeman's protracted contract talks with the Braves failed -- a development that left him devastated, according to friends in the organization -- he agreed to a six-year, $162 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers.