The Oakland Athletics trades star studded first baseman Matt Olson to the defending World Series Champions for a hefty price of prospects and the return of their former player of the franchise.
A Tough Decision to Make
Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos made it very clear after the news broke that Matt Olson was on his way to his home state of Georgia to become the new starting first basemen for the Braves. Anthopoulos was seen lost for words and choking up during his time with media discussing the blockbuster trade that sent some of the Braves top prospects in its Farm system to seal the highly sought-after slugger from Oakland.
The Deal
The Details for the trade send Olson to the Braves for some of the top prospects in Atlanta’s farm system. The Athletics receive four players in return for Olson. Center Fielder Cristian Pache, Catcher Shea Langeliers, Starting Pitcher Joey Estes and Starting Pitcher Ryan Cusick. This massive haul as Pache and Langeliers were the top two prospects in the Braves system and are currently ranked 38th and 69th respectfully by MLB.com for overall prospects.
This haul is clear that the Athletics are now in full rebuild as this is the second trade in just a few days as they also shipped Starting Pitcher Chris Bassitt to the Mets. This addition to the farm is exactly what the A’s need to light the spark for the Oakland fire sale as they enter the offseason as one of the worst farm systems in all of baseball.
What Does Olson Bring to Atlanta?
Although it seems there will be a changing of the guard at first base for the Braves, Plan-B is not anything to brush off. Matt Olson has been a problem for pitching in the American League circuit for the last six seasons.
In 2017, Olson finished 4th in Rookie of the Year voting when he hit 24 home runs in only 59 games. The next year he showed his reliability as he played in all 162 games for the Athletics. Olson has hit over 35 home runs in the last two full seasons, hitting 36 in 2019 and 39 in 2021 (being named to his first all-star game). Olson is no stranger to good defensive as well, as he is a two-time golden glove winner (2018 and 2019).
What Does this Mean for Freddie Freeman?
It appears that the tenure for Freddie Freeman has come to an end in Atlanta. After an outstanding MVP season in 2020 and a World Series victory in 2021, the Braves look like this trade sealed the fate of both Freeman and Atlanta to end the chapter of what many thought would be the next face of the franchise, the next Chipper Jones for years to come. Instead, Braves fans can always remember the last play made by Freeman sealed the deal for their first World Series victory since 1995.
As for the landing spot for Freeman, time is ticking. He is the hottest free agent on the market and reports have shown him tied to Both the Dodgers and Yankees for some time. It has also been reported as of late that two other AL East teams are in the mix for the 32-year-old left hander. Keep an eye out for the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays to also try and sign him as well.
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