Dodgers News: LA Has a Big Decision to Make On Cody Bellinger This Week
Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger made his mark on the scene back in 2017. He debuted in April of that year, and from the first game, there was never a doubt he’d remain on the major league roster.
Bellinger won NL Rookie of the Year and NL MVP in 2019. Things were looking great for the lefty. And now, three years later, we find ourselves asking if the Dodgers will tender his contract for the 2023 season.
LA has until this Friday to decide whether or not they will tender him a contract for 2023. If they choose not to, that will make him a non-tender free agent.
How far the mighty have fallen. Bellinger looked like a sure thing in Dodger blue. However, Cody has arguably been the worst everyday offensive player in the league in the past three seasons. There are many different reasons and excuses for his downfall.
That shoulder injury that caused his shoulder to separate while celebrating a home run with Kike Hernandez in game seven of the 2020 NLCS didn’t help. That caused him to have shoulder surgery, and he never looked right for all of the 2021 regular season.
In addition, he also suffered from a hairline leg fracture in April 2021 that may have caused his swing from his lower body.
He had a slightly better 2022 season, but he still didn’t have it, for the most part, only totaling 106 hits to his 150 strikeouts.
Even with no bat, Bellinger has proven himself to be a Gold Glove-type player out in center field. He covers so much ground, has a great arm, and is a speedster around the bases.
Most importantly, Belli is only 27 years old.
Do you go with the hope and promise that Cody will bounce back from his injuries and struggles? Or do you lean towards this is who Cody is now, and he’ll never reach his MVP status ever again?
Andrew Friedman sounds convinced; we’ll see if he hangs on to the two-time All-Star.
