3 moves the Blue Jays can make after missing out on Shohei Ohtani

Blue Jays should make a run at Cody Bellinger

Shohei Ohtani is off the board and Juan Soto is in the Bronx to team up with Aaron Judge on the New York Yankees. That's far from ideal for the Toronto Blue Jays. Since they missed out on both players who have powerful bats, maybe it's time to pivot to one of the top hitters available in free agency. That player is former Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger.

Last year, the Dodgers opted to move on from Bellinger, allowing him to hit free agency. The 2019 National League MVP signed a one-year contract with the Cubs to prove his worth. Sure enough, Bellinger had one of the best seasons of his career since the MVP season.

Bellinger played in 130 games for the Cubs, where he recorded a .307 batting average, a .356 on-base percentage, a .525 slugging percentage, 26 home runs, 95 runs, 97 RBI, 153 hits, 87 strikeouts, and 40 walks in 499 at-bats.

The free agent outfielder won't be a cheap option for the Blue Jays, as he's reportedly seeking a contract worth as high as $250 million, per USA Today's Bob Nightengale. The insider also notes that Bellinger could be a free agent who waits the longest before signing a contract.

Sure, Bellinger is not the caliber of Ohtani or Soto, but he's easily the best player available in free agency.