Freddie Freeman faces uncertain Dodgers future thanks to Shohei Ohtani

The Los Angeles Dodgers are World Series favorites for the third year in a row. They've won back-to-back titles and are going for a third.

With Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Freddie Freeman, and recently signed outfielder Kyle Tucker, the Dodgers are poised for another deep run. But the party will stop eventually, and it might happen sooner than later for Freeman.

With his $162M contract up after 2027, Freeman has two years left in L.A. ESPN's Buster Olney believes that Freeman, thanks in part to Ohtani being entrenched as the Dodgers DH, might finish his MLB career with a different team if he doesn't retire.

Freddie Freeman might not finish MLB career with Dodgers thanks to Shohei Ohtani

"He's got two years left on his Dodgers contract, and with Shohei Ohtani entrenched as L.A.'s designated hitter indefinitely," Olney writes, "questions might emerge next season about where Freeman will finish his career."

Ohtani is going nowhere, as he'll continue adding to what could end up being one of the best careers in Major League Baseball history.

Freeman, set to be a free agent after two seasons, might not end up returning to the Dodgers as the team's first baseman if his defense takes a huge step back.

While he might want to return to the Dodgers, they could be in a tricky spot with Freeman. Of course, if his defense remains solid, or at least not a massive liability, then there's no reason the Dodgers shouldn't try to bring him back. Money is clearly not an issue.

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But, with Ohtani firmly locked into the designated hitter spot, the Dodgers might not re-sign Freeman as he pursues 3,000 career hits.

He's close, sitting at an MLB-leading 2,431 entering 2026. He's 569 away from reaching the coveted 3,000 hit mark.

With Freeman averaging 181 hits per season, he will need to play over three seasons at his current rate if he wants to reach 3,000 hits before he retires. It's doable for the 36-year-old, but it's not going to be easy.

That leaves two years after the Dodgers contract runs out to reach 3,000 hits. But, as stated by Olney, the Dodgers DH situation with Ohtani means Freeman might not finish his Hall of Fame career with the Dodgers.

There's still hope he can return, but if injuries or major defensive regression make his first base job unsustainable, the Dodgers might be in a tricky spot where they don't have a clear spot for Freeman to close out his career, thanks in part to Ohtani taking up the DH spot.

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