Freddie Freeman terrorizes pitchers for a living. He controls the strike zone, punishes mistakes, and has built a Hall of Fame résumé on consistency and calm. But off the field, the Los Angeles Dodgers star recently ran into an opponent he couldn’t outmaneuver: the housing market.
The Dodgers’ first baseman quietly took a $2 million loss after selling his Los Angeles home, according to reporting from The Center Square. Freeman didn’t lose the money because of bad timing or a housing crash. He lost it because selling property in Los Angeles can punish even the most careful sellers.
On the field, Freddie Freeman thrives under pressure. In October, he delivered one of the most iconic moments in World Series history. In real estate, however, the rules worked against him from the start.
Freeman sold his home for less than what he originally paid. That should have softened the blow. Instead, it triggered a hefty bill tied to Los Angeles’ Measure ULA, often marketed as a “mansion tax.” The tax doesn’t care whether a seller profits or loses. It only looks at the sale price.
Once the final numbers settled, Freeman watched millions vanish.
A Seven-Figure Loss Without a Swing
Measure ULA applies to property sales above a set threshold, currently set at just above $5.3 million after inflation adjustments. Freeman’s home fell squarely into that range. The city charged a 4% transfer tax on the sale price, not the profit margin.
That distinction turned a bad sale into a brutal one.
Even though Freeman sold at a loss, the tax still applied. If the home had sold for more than $10.6 million, the rate would have climbed to 5.5%. In other words, the system penalized the transaction itself, not the outcome.
Susan Shelley of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association explained it plainly: sellers owe the tax simply for selling. Losses don’t reduce the bill. Freeman found that out the hard way.
The irony feels unavoidable. Freeman signed a six-year, $162 million contract with the Dodgers and ranks among baseball’s highest earners. Yet even he couldn’t sidestep a seven-figure hit on a single transaction. If someone with his resources can lose this much, everyday property owners face even steeper consequences.
When Star Power Doesn’t Matter
Critics argue that Measure ULA has reshaped the Los Angeles real estate market in ways voters never intended. Apartment developers have slowed construction. Commercial property sales have stalled. Owners hesitate to sell because the tax slices into proceeds immediately.
Researchers at UCLA’s Lewis Center for Regional Policy Studies found that the policy hit non-single-family properties especially hard. The slowdown has limited housing supply in a city that already struggles with affordability. While the tax aimed to fund homelessness services, it also discouraged the very development Los Angeles needs.
Freeman never tried to make a political statement. He simply sold a home. Still, his experience now serves as a high-profile example of how unforgiving the market has become.
On the field, Freeman still controls at-bats, drives in runs, and delivers when it matters most. Off the field, he learned a costly lesson: in Los Angeles real estate, talent and timing don’t always matter.
Even World Series heroes can take a massive loss—and never see it coming.
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