LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – After reporting to spring training Tuesday, Freddie Freeman said it was “weird” looking around the Braves spring-clubhouse and seeing Julio Teheran is the only other member of the team from a few years ago who’s still around.
But he said there’s a good vibe and energy around the team, despite the low expectations of pundits and computerized projections that have the Braves finishing with about the same record as their 67-95 in 2015.
“We’ve got a young, exciting team,” said Freeman, whose early-camp batting practice sessions will be limited as he continues his recovery from a wrist injury that caused him to miss 44 games in 2015. “We’ve got guys that are going to be at the top of the lineup getting on base, creating havoc. And we’ve got some veteran starting pitchers that came in who are going to provide some stability for a lot of younger guys.
“We’ve got a lot of young guys in camp that we got in trades, that I’m excited to see. So it’s going to be a fun camp. It’s exciting. I think there’s a lot of energy and a lot of positivity going on right now, and it’s a pretty good thing to see.”
Freeman also said he was pleased to see the Braves bring back Jeff Francoeur, the former Braves right fielder who signed a minor-league contract Tuesday that included an invitation to big-league spring training. Francoeur is expected to arrive Wednesday, official reporting day for Braves position players.
“I think we’ve got the loudest team in the game now, too, with (Nick) Swisher and (Jason) Grilli and Francoeur,” Freeman said, smiling. “It’s going to be exciting at 7 o’clock in the morning every day. It’s good to see (Francoeur sign). He texted me a couple of weeks ago, so it’s definitely good to see him. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”
