Nobody is rooting against Freeland. But the plain fact is the he's a young player in 2026 who was out-played by his UT peers Miggy, Edman and Kike. Father Time should have helped Freeland stand out, but it didn't.
Freeland out-hit Kim in OKC, but their OPS in the majors was practically identical, while Freeland was granted about double the opportunity. (More that 230 ABs is not a small sample.) Kim's speed put him on the postseason roster ahead of Freeland.
Some folks here, it seems, are thinking with their heart about Freeland and his surgically corrected club foot. Great personal story. He's an overachiever but I don't see him maturing into Brice Turang or some other all-star. He's a useful UT guy--though not as useful as Kike or Edman, who also play OF well. Freeland may be better than Lux, who was perhaps cursed by hype and great expectations. Davalan, I think, is perceived as having a higher ceiling than Freeland, and perhaps some other IF prospects like Kellen Lindsay and Nico Lopez. Noah Miller brings superior defense.
Every team could use a guy like Alex Freeland. Some teams could use him as a starter. But I don't see the Dodgers automatically pencilling into the lineup. I think the Dodgers front office would rather find somebody who moves the proverbial needle. I don't think they'd hesitate putting Freeland into a deal for Pena.
And a deal may be the best thing for Freeland. Certainly the trades worked out well for guys like Vargas, Busch, McKinstry and Jonny De Luca.
Remember Jonny? He was part of the Glasnow deal. And soon he'll be trying to win a ring with the Rays.