Dodgers Linked to Fan Favorite All-Star in Potential Reunion in Free Agency

Dec 14, 2023; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman (left) and manager Dave Roberts at press conference at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Changes are bound to occur this offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The team is notorious for tinkering at an unprecedented level. If things don't work one year, the front office will go full bore into making necessary adjustments to put as good of a team on the field as possible.

We saw throughout the regular season and even into the playoffs some weakness in the outfield pertaining to production and more notably decision-making defensively. With Michael Conforto surely gone, and the future of potentially both Andy Pages and Teoscar Hernandez in question, there's a world in which the outfield alignment in 2026 looks far different than the one currently.

Longtime MLB reporter Jon Heyman of the New York Post theorizes a scenario in which the Dodgers could look to bolster their outfield by bringing back an old friend from the past.

"Could the Dodgers bring [Cody] Bellinger back? He’d fit since their outfield is the least of their strengths, and some Dodgers folks like him. He’s turned it back around since the couple of years of offensive struggles following his MVP season in L.A."

Baseball Savant

There are a few things in Bellinger's favor as it pertains to being a fit with the Dodgers. His career began in LA, and his familiarity with the franchise is apparent. There'd be less of an acclimation period for him compared to another free agent joining the team.

As the statistical breakdown above in the graphic demonstrates, Bellinger has turned into less of a slugger and more into a contact hitter with a penchant for putting the ball in play and not striking out. His athleticism still is elite for his position, and the fielding percentages coupled with his positional versatility would give the Dodgers a massive upgrade in the outfield.

Kyle Tucker has been associated with the Dodgers all year. While his defense and speed isn't as good as Bellinger's, his offensive profile has a greater ceiling. He'll also cost presumably a whole lot more than Bellinger will — and that's something to take into consideration as the team decides how to best allot resources moving forward.

A Bellinger-Dodgers reunion would be something the fan base surely would get behind. Should the Tucker sweepstakes become too highly-priced for what the Dodgers deem his value to be, it could be another battle between LA and the New York Yankees — this time off the field.

For more Dodgers news, head over to Dodgers on SI.