Braves' Freeman impressed after watching 'imposing' Olivera work out

During Freddie Freeman's recent rehab stint in Florida, the Atlanta Braves first baseman kept busy preparing scouting reports on his own teammates.

Considering his glowing assessment, opponents may want to take notice.

Freeman said Thursday he had an opportunity to spend time with newly acquired infielder Hector Olivera at the Braves' spring training complex in Florida, and that the talented Cuban left a lasting impression.

"He is an imposing figure in the box," Freeman told Mark Bowman of MLB.com before Thursday's 7-1 loss to the Chicago Cubs. "He's got the Barry Bonds arm guard thing, he (leans out over the plate) and he swings hard."

Olivera was acquired last month in the trade that sent pitcher Alex Wood and top prospect Jose Peraza to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the 30-year-old third baseman has been slowed recently by a hamstring strain. As Olivera inches closer to his major-league debut - he began playing at Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday - Freeman believes the sky's the limit.

"When that trade first went down, you were like, 'Man, that's a tough one to swallow,'" he said. "Then you see what he looks like and you see his swing and you're like 'OK, this could be someone special for a few years.'"