Dodgers: Freddie Freeman Stoked for Reunion with Old Teammate
When the Dodgers signed outfielder Jason Heyward to a minor-league contract last week, it was mostly a small news item. Heyward has struggled the last several years, and his chances of even making the big-league team out of spring training aren't great.
But one person was very excited about the Dodgers signing the guy the Braves picked in the first round of the 2007 draft, and that's the guy the Braves picked in the second round of the 2007 draft: Freddie Freeman.
Freeman and Heyward were teammates throughout the minors with the Braves, and both debuted in Atlanta in 2010. A year before, they were teammates with the Myrtle Beach Pelicans, as seen here:
That's 19-year-old Freeman and 19-year-old Heyward, and if my eyes don't deceive me, it's probably 21-year-old Craig Kimbrel on the left. Kimbrel is extremely unlikely to be part of the Myrtle Beach reunion at Camelback Ranch this spring, but having Heyward and Freeman back together will be fun.
Heyward's best years came as Freeman's teammate in Atlanta, so maybe being back with his old friend will rekindle some of the flame that made Heyward one of the most promising young players in baseball over his first several seasons.
If nothing else, looking at that picture reminds us that Heyward is one of the coolest dudes in baseball and he'll look really good in Dodger blue. That's enough reason on its own to root for his success. We're not sure what number he'll wear, because he's been 22 throughout his career and 22 is extremely spoken for in Los Angeles. As we can see in the photo, he was 34 with Myrtle Beach, but that number's not going on anyone's back, either.
