Dodgers News: SNLA Analyst Predicts Bellinger Will Play 'Elsewhere' in 2023
Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes and president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman met with the media on Tuesday, and one of the questions they were asked was about Cody Bellinger, who is a candidate to be non-tendered this offseason.
The front office executives didn't have much to say on the Bellinger front, with Gomes saying they haven't yet had time to discuss it internally, adding that "he’s had some good offensive stretches. Belli’s elite defense has continued to be there, and we still think there’s upside."
Over on SportsNetLA, though, "Access: SportsNet" host John Hartung talked with analysts Jerry Hairston Jr. and Orel Hershiser about Bellinger and a few other big offseason questions, and Hairston had a much more blunt assessment of Bellinger's future.
"I'm a huge Cody Bellinger fan. I absolutely love this kid, I love his potential, his talent. I'm concerned about his career. I want him to thrive. I want him to have a long big-league career. I think he's gonna need a new voice, I think it will probably be elsewhere. And I hope he has a tremendous career, that's what I'm really concerned about. So hopefully he plays another eight, ten, twelve years in the big leagues, because he is so talented. But that three years — not just a season, not just two, it's been three years where he's hit .200 and he really hasn't made a whole lot of adjustments. So I think he's gonna have to play somewhere else."
At just 27 years old, Bellinger should be in his prime right now. After winning the NL MVP at age 24, we should be enjoying a stretch of dominance from one of the most gifted athletes in baseball. It should be a no-brainer to offer arbitration (or a long-term contract extension) to a guy with Bellinger's skills.
But the fact is he's posted a .648 OPS over the last three seasons and .611 over the last two. He made $17 million in 2022, which means the very lowest his salary would be in 2023 would be $13.6 if they go to arbitration, and realistically, it's probably back in the $17 million range. As talented as Bellinger is — and even with his still-excellent defense — it's hard to picture the Dodgers paying that much for a guy with that on-field production.
So Hairston might be right. In 2023, Cody Bellinger might be playing elsewhere.
