Freddie Freeman Rumors: Yankees, Dodgers, Blue Jays Linked amid Rays Contract Offer

The Tampa Bay Rays, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays were among the teams to express interest in free-agent first baseman Freddie Freeman before the lockout began.

Jon Heyman of MLB Network reported the Rays went so far as to make an offer to Freeman, who would instantly slot in as a franchise cornerstone.

The 2020 NL MVP also obviously has significant interest from the Atlanta Braves, who will head into 2022 looking to repeat as World Series champions. Freeman has played for the Braves organization his entire career since being taken in the second round of the 2022 MLB draft.

No terms of the Rays' offer were given, but Bob Nightengale of USA Today reported Freeman was looking for a six-year contract worth $200 million before the lockout. 

With baseball closed for business and no end in sight to the lockout, it's anyone's guess what contract offers will be out there once teams are allowed to make contact with players again. That was the precise reason several top free agents inked deals before the start of the lockout to avoid any potential snags.

Freeman made his fifth All-Star team in 2022, hitting .300/.393/.503 with 31 home runs and 83 runs batted in. His batting average has been no lower than .295 in any of the last six seasons. Freeman continued to rake in the postseason, belting five home runs to help lead the Braves to a World Series title.

His free agency is one of the major lingering questions of the offseason. You know, once baseball is actually a sport with a collective bargaining agreement again.