Though it is still seven-and-a-half months until Halloween, the New York Yankees definitely have something that they are afraid of.
Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported Wednesday that the Yankees tried hard to sign free agent slugger Freddie Freeman but that their impression was that Freeman preferred not to come. Heyman adds that the Yankees fear Freeman could end up with the rival Boston Red Sox.
The Yankees just re-signed first baseman Anthony Rizzo to a two-year, $32 million deal. Like Freeman, Rizzo is a 32-year-old lefty power bat, effectively signaling that the Yankees are out of the running for Freeman. The Toronto Blue Jays, a fellow AL East club, have also been linked to Freeman. But they may have taken themselves out of the race as well by acquiring slugger Matt Chapman in a trade with the Oakland Athletics.
The five-time All-Star Freeman is all but guaranteed not to be returning to the Atlanta Braves either. That leaves Boston and this other prominent club as the apparent finalists for Freeman’s services. As for the Yankees, they are definitely hoping that Freeman does not land with the former.
Photo: Jun 15, 2021; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) hits a RBI single against the Boston Red Sox in the third inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
