David Freese is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers on a one-year, $5 million contract, according to multiple reports.
The reigning NL champions held a $6 million option on the 35-year-old infielder, who joined the team in August after a trade from Pittsburgh Pirates. The team did not exercise the option, and Freese instead received a $500,000 buyout as well as a new $4.5 million contract.
Freese was 8 for 20 with two home runs, six RBIs and a walk in 14 postseason games while platooning at first base. With Chase Utley having just retired, Freese will fill a veteran leadership role in the clubhouse for a Dodgers team that has come up short in two straight World Series appearances.
The Dodgers remain in ongoing negotiations with ace Clayton Kershaw. According to president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman, the talks with Kershaw’s camp are “ongoingly pleasant.”
The three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and the team agreed to extend the deadline on Kershaw’s opt-out decision by 40 hours until 4 p.m. ET Friday.