Dodgers: David Freese Option Deadline Pushed To Friday
First, Clayton Kershaw’s option deadline was pushed to Friday. Then, Los Angeles Dodgers fans shifted their focus to first baseman David Freese. Shortly after the midnight deadline passed, some news broke that was not really news. The Dodgers have pushed the extension deadline for Freese’s extension to 1 PM PT on Friday, per Ken Gurnick.
Dodgers also extended the deadline on a $6 million option for David Freese to Friday at 1 p.m. PT.
— Ken Gurnick (@kengurnick) November 1, 2018
Freese has a $6 million team option due for the 2019 season. It’s entirely possible that the Dodgers extended the deadline with Freese (and also Kershaw) to work out a multi-year deal with both players. We will simply have to wait two more days to learn what the future holds for the veteran slugger.
Freese has earned a reputation as one of baseball’s best offensive players in the postseason. He followed suit in 2018 with his career track record in October. Freese slashed .417/.500/.833 in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox. His home run in game five got the Dodgers on the board. His 385/.489/.641 line with two home runs and nine RBI in 19 regular season games showed he could still be a threat primarily against left-handed pitching.
Analysis
Freese is entering his age-36 season. While it’s reasonable to expect a player to slow down at that age, it’s unlikely that Freese would be asked to perform in an every-day role. Think of a Chase Utley type presence, and a player who can be counted upon to give the Dodgers great at-bats against southpaws and in late-inning situations. Still, with Los Angeles figuring to be a part of the postseason for many years to come; Freese is an excellent weapon to have entering the tenth calendar month of the year. It’s not out of the realm of possibility that the Dodgers offer a lesser dollar amount per year in exchange for two years of Freese. This would allow him to finish his career as a Dodger and chase another World Series while providing some leadership.
This is a no brainer as far as I am sure most of us are concerned. work out a deal for Freese as soon as possible because honestly, he was really the only real offensive bright spot in this 2018 WS. His PS record as a real clutch player speaks for itself. AND if one hasn’t noticed, Dodgers still need all the help they can get against LHP. We saw the team’s performance against the LHP of Boston in WS….enough said.