Major League Baseball is on hold and so is Freddie Freeman’s future. The Atlanta Braves star has been with the organization since it selected him in the second round of the 2007 MLB Draft. His future in Atlanta, however, is in question.

He and the team failed to come to an agreement on a contract before the MLB locked out its players, leaving him a free agent. Reports have stated Freeman has grown “very impatient” with the team, while another one may be ready to pounce on him.

Freddie Freeman has been the face of the Atlanta Braves for more than a decade

Freeman just finished the final season of his eight-year, $135 million extension with the Braves in style. He led the team to a World Series title, but the Braves failed to lock him up, and now he and the franchise sit in limbo during the lockout.

Freeman has taken over for Chipper Jones as the face of the franchise. He’s a five-time All-Star and won MVP during 2020’s COVID-19-shortened season.

In 2013, Freeman made the first of his All-Star appearances when he hit 23 home runs and drove in 109 runs. He finished with a .319 batting average. He proved the season was no fluke by returning to the Midsummer Classic the following year.

In 2019, Freeman smacked a career-high 38 home runs and drove in a career-best 121 runs. In his 12 years in the big leagues, Freeman has a .295 batting average and has racked up 1,704 hits and 271 home runs.

Freddie Freeman is a man without a team, but the Dodgers may be ready to make a move

According to several reports, the sticking point in negotiations with the Braves was a sixth year. In November, Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY reported the Braves offered Freeman a five-year, $135 million deal that was rejected by the first baseman. It was reported Freeman was seeking a six-year deal in the $200 million range.

According to David Vassegh of AM 570 L.A. Sports Radio, Freeman was getting a bit irked at the Braves, who could come to regret not locking up their star.

The Los Angeles Dodgers, who aren’t afraid to spend money, just might be waiting to pounce on Freeman when MLB negotiations can resume again.

“The Dodgers have now pivoted towards Orange County’s own Freddie Freeman,” Vassegh said just before the lockout began two weeks ago. “They are engaged in talks right now. What makes this all the more interesting is that Freddie Freeman, from my understanding of people close to him, he has grown very impatient with the Atlanta Braves because the Atlanta Braves were taking the strategy of waiting to see where the market goes before offering him a contract.

“So to my knowledge, the Braves still have not formally offered Freddie Freeman any sort of free-agent contract, which has made him grow impatient. And when a door closes, there’s another one that opens, and Andrew Friedman usually steps right through it.”

The Dodgers might be the perfect fit for Freeman

You put Freddie Freeman on the Blue Jays and I move to Toronto. https://t.co/Cq7BXQluQw

— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) November 30, 2021

The Dodgers have deep pockets and now have an excuse to dig into them. LA lost pitcher Max Scherzer and shortstop Corey Seager during the offseason. When the lockout is lifted, the Dodgers are expected to be serious free-agent players as they normally are. Freeman just might be atop their list.

Signing the veteran first baseman would allow Max Muncy to play second base. With Seager out of the picture, Trea Turner would return to shortstop, his natural position.

It was assumed Freeman was a slam dunk to return to Atlanta, but that recent report may prove otherwise. If he doesn’t return to Atlanta, the Dodgers would likely have some competition.

There have been reports the Toronto Blue Jays are interested in Freeman. According to JaysJournal.com, Toronto met with Freeman’s representatives before the lockout. The Jays are one of the most explosive offenses in baseball. Adding Freeman just might put them over the top in the American League.

The New York Yankees are also reportedly in the mix for Freeman.

The logical place for Freeman is Atlanta. The Braves, however, may have blown that chance by failing to secure him when they had the opportunity.