Chipper Jones on Braves’ Freddie Freeman inaction: ‘I’m sure he’s frustrated’

Freddie Freeman is clearly frustrated by the lack of progress in contract negotiations with the Braves, according to Chipper Jones.

The Freddie Freeman continues to hang over the Atlanta Braves. The longer it does, the more people will wonder if they’ve missed their shot to bring back the star first baseman.

Braves legend Chipper Jones weighed in on the matter on the Dukes & Bell show this week.

Jones doesn’t know if Freeman is upset with the Braves over the way contract talks have progressed.

“I haven’t talked to Freddie in quite some time, but I’m sure he’s probably a little frustrated this wasn’t done in Spring Training last year,” Jones said.

Chipper Jones wants Freddie Freeman to think of his Braves legacy

Despite understanding Freeman’s frustration, Jones did some explaining on behalf of the franchise and their reluctance to pay Freeman the big bucks in early 2021.

“The fact of the matter is we didn’t have any fans in the stands. We’ve got owners that didn’t know where revenue was going to be at the end of the year and maybe held out a little bit,” Jones explained.

Jones settled on a simple conclusion about Freeman’s process.

“If he wants to play for the Atlanta Braves, will be playing for the Atlanta Braves,” he said.

Still, with “some of the prettiest girls on the block” pursuing Freeman, the competition for his services could end up being fierce.

As for what Jones thinks Freeman should do. It all comes down to legacy.

“I hope that he thinks about his legacy here in Atlanta and they can come to some sort of an agreement to bring him back because I’d love nothing more than for his number to go right in there in between Dale Murphy and Bobby Cox. In between the 3 and the 6, a couple down from the number 10 because we’ve talked about it often and I think it would be a shame if it didn’t happen,” he said.

It’s not always easy to meet fan desires with professional earnings. If ever there was a time for the Braves to go out of their way to do that, it’s with Freeman.