Angels Reportedly Not Willing to Meet Asking Price for Cody Bellinger
The Los Angeles Angels have spent their offseason trying to bring in more talent all offseason. The front office is determined to build a competitive team for next season, and they know they can't stand pat this winter.
One of the players who has been heavily linked with the Halos this offseason is former National League MVP Cody Bellinger. Bellinger won the National League Comeback Player of the Year Award in 2023, and the Angels have had interest in him for a while now.
However, MLB.com's Mark Feinsand has reported that the Angels aren't willing to meet the large asking price of Bellinger at this time.
"The Angels, Giants, Mets and Mariners all make sense as potential landing spots for Bellinger, but none of those clubs appear to be ready and/or willing to pay the asking price, which is believed to be north of $200 million."
Bellinger had a resurgent 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs and is attempting to cash in on the open market. With his agent being Scott Boras, there is a good chance that Bellinger will receive a deal that may be over his market value.
The power-hitter would look very nice in the middle of the Angels' lineup and would help ease the loss of production from losing Ohtani. He would give them a solid left-handed hitter to build the lineup around, and it would take some of the pressure off the other star players.
With his ability to play the outfield, Bellinger could also help lessen the games played in the field for outfielder Mike Trout. Trout has dealt with injuries over the last few seasons, and may be better suited to play more games at the designated hitter position going forward.
It seems that the Halos are holding their ground when it comes to the price tag. They won't make a signing just to make something happen, so it'll be interesting to see how this all plays out.
