Whenever Major League Baseball's owner-imposed lockout ends and the offseason is allowed to resume, one of the biggest storylines worth monitoring is what the defending champion Atlanta Braves do to fill their first-base void. Heading into the offseason, the expectation was that the Braves would reach a new agreement with free agent Freddie Freeman, thereby keeping him in town for the remainder of his career.

The two sides couldn't find common ground prior to the lockout (Freeman reportedly sought a six-year deal, while the Braves offered just five years), however, and now there's a growing sentiment that the Braves might move on. To wit, ESPN's Buster Olney shared this take from a rival executive on Tuesday: "I think [the Braves] will move quickly to settle on an alternative and move on to get past the conversation."

What, precisely, might that entail? Below, we've highlighted five alternatives to Freeman who could end up manning the cold corner for the Braves come Opening Day.