Dodgers, Cody Bellinger News Emerges on Tuesday

Now an unrestricted free agent, Bellinger will have the opportunity to weigh his options among all contenders. While a reunion with the Dodgers has long seemed like a natural fit, it remained speculation until Tuesday when ESPN’s Jeff Passan officially linked Los Angeles to Bellinger in a report.

“Beyond the Yankees, who would like a return engagement with Bellinger — though Trent Grisham accepting the qualifying offer would make for a crowded outfield with a Bellinger reunion — the Blue Jays see him as a perfectly good alternative to Tucker. And the Dodgers, who non-tendered Bellinger three years ago, have expressed interest as they peruse the outfield market,” Passan wrote.

Hours ago, Trent Grisham accepted the qualifying offer to return to the Yankees, and as Passan noted, that makes the idea of a Bellinger reunion in New York a little more complicated.

While the Dodgers and Bellinger weigh their options, a reunion does make sense. Los Angeles is not necessarily looking for a long-term commitment, and with Bellinger now 30 years old, a high average annual value deal over five or six years could work well for both sides.

Bellinger has thrived in Los Angeles before, even if his time there ended on a sour note. He won NL Rookie of the Year in 2017, earned NL MVP honors in 2019 and helped the Dodgers win a World Series title in 2020. He was originally drafted by Los Angeles in the 2013 MLB Draft.

If he returns, Bellinger would immediately slot into a lineup built to contend and join a club determined to chase a third straight World Series championship.