A new wrinkle has come to light in the Freddie Freeman agent saga. Freeman recently fired his agent, Casey Close, following an emotional weekend series in Atlanta. On Wednesday, we got a possible look into why he did so. According to Doug Gottlieb of Fox Sports Radio, Close withheld the terms of the Atlanta Braves‘ final offer to Freeman this past offseason. These terms haven’t been publicly disclosed. However, Close supposedly knew it was likely enough for Freeman to re-sign in Atlanta, per Gottlieb. This revelation prompted Freeman to fire his agent. Close, for his part, vehemently denied the allegations in a statement to Sports Illustrated.
Freddie Freeman’s Former Agent Could Be in Trouble
If Close is guilty of not telling Freeman about the Braves offer, it obviously reflects badly on him. It seems clear that Freeman wanted to stay in Atlanta if he could. Close’s alleged actions likely played a huge part in Freeman signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers. If Freeman knew about the Braves’ offer earlier, he may have taken it quickly. Instead, the Braves ended up trading for first baseman Matt Olson and promptly extending him for eight years. This led Freeman to sign elsewhere.
The fact that Freeman learned all this during his return to Atlanta over the weekend must have made it an even more painful experience. Whether the allegations are true or not, it appears that their mere mention are what caused Freddie Freeman to fire his agent. If Close indeed withheld the Braves’ offer, it would show him to be an unethical agent who put his own interests over those of his client. This news, if true, could have implications beyond just Freeman. Close also represents other high-profile players such as Clayton Kershaw and Dansby Swanson. What comes of this saga could impact their choice of representation in the future. Hopefully, for the sake of the game, the allegations are false. If they’re not, it makes an already tough chapter for Freeman even worse.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
Players Mentioned:
Freddie Freeman, Matt Olson, Clayton Kershaw, Dansby Swanson
