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The Atlanta Braves made a blockbuster trade Monday (March 14) that likely signals the end of longtime first baseman Freddie Freeman's tenure with the team.
Atlanta acquired first baseman Matt Olson from the Oakland Athletics in exchange for catcher Shea Langeliers, outfielder Cristian Pache, right-handed pitcher Ryan Cusick and right-handed pitcher Joey Estes.
The move comes amid Freeman's free agency and reports that the 2020 NL MVP has received strong interest from the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays.
Olson, 27, an Atlanta native, is coming off his first career All-Star appearance during the 2021 season, which saw him hit for a career-best .271 average, 39 home runs and 111 RBI.
The Braves confirmed the trade on their verified Twitter account Monday (March 14).
Langeliers, 24, is considered one of the top young catching prospects, having hit 22 home runs in Double-A last season to match with a rocket arm defensively.
Pache, 23, started at center field for the Braves during their 2021 World Series season and is projected to be a future Gold Glove Award winner, however, struggled offensively during sporadic appearances at the Major League level in the past two seasons.
Cusick was selected at No. 24 overall in the 2021 MLB Draft and recorded a 2.76 ERA in 16.1 innings pitched during six Class-A appearances in 2021.