MLB Rumors: Athletics All-Star Positioned As Braves' Contingency Plan

Freddie Freeman is set to become a free agent, but the Atlanta Braves are expected to try and retain him for the 2022 MLB season.

But if their efforts fail, it appears Atlanta has done due diligence in case negotiations bog down.

There are now claims that the Braves had a contingency plan in place even before the lockout took place, and it involved Matt Olson of the Oakland Athletics according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.

With Oakland seen as likely to sell as they focus on a publicly funded stadium in Oakland or Las Vegas, dealing Olson to the Braves or some other MLB team makes sense.

The numbers were not divulged, but there is reason to believe that the A’s can get a good price for the two-time Golden Glove awardee.

Olson is coming off an impressive 134 OPS+ across parts of six major-league seasons. He's also coming off a 2021 campaign in which he tallied 39 home runs in 156 games, CBS Sports noted.

The All-Star player shares some similarities with Freeman, someone with left-handed power and a fielder at first base.

It would be best to note that Olson is also from Georgia, something that could further appeal to the Braves.

But the next question there is how much would Atlanta be willing to spend for Olson. The 27-year-old is not due to hit free agency until after the 2023 season, indicating that any price involving the first baseman is likely to be steep.

Whatever money the Braves are willing to spend may depend on how talks with Freeman go.

Atlanta is likely to tip the scales to figure out who between Freeman and Olson would be worth keeping.

The answer to that is on pause for now. But once the MLB lockout is lifted, expect things to get pretty interesting over in Atlanta.