MLB Rumors: 3 potential Cody Bellinger suitors who haven’t been mentioned yet
With MLB Spring Training underway, Cody Bellinger remains a free agent. Here are three plausible suitors for the 2019 NL MVP that haven't been mentioned.
While Spring Training is well underway and games are beginning to start, there are many marque free agents still available. Though the biggest name is Cody Bellinger, coming off a resurgent 2023 where he posted 4.1 fWAR in his lone season as a Cub.
Coming off a stellar three-year start to his career, including the 2019 campaign where he won the National League MVP, Bellinger took a step back in the COVID-shortened 2020 season and then proceeded to have the two worst seasons of his career in 2021 and 2022. This led the Dodgers to non-tender Bellinger, allowing the Cubs to take a one-year, $17.5 million gamble on the former MVP.
The one-year pact worked tremendously for Bellinger and Chicago, but the sides reportedly have not engaged in serious contract talks, according to ESPN. With other potential suitors like the Yankees (Juan Soto) and Giants (Jung Ho Lee) pivoting to alternative options, the teams involved in the Bellinger sweepstakes are relatively unknown. Here are three plausible Cody Bellinger suitors who haven’t been mentioned yet.
Seattle Mariners should take a swing at Cody Bellinger
Outside of another fantastic season from Julio Rodriguez, the Mariners struggled to find consistent outfield production behind him. Teoscar Hernandez underperformed in his lone season with the club and Jared Kelenic kicked a water cooler causing him to break his foot while Seattle tried piecing together the rest of its outfield.
Though the Mariners have re-tooled their outfield this season, trading for Luke Raley and Mitch Haninger, it’ll be difficult to rely on a player who has only put together a 118-game sample size of solid baseball and another who is injury-prone.
Meanwhile, Bellinger can spell Ty France at first base and gives the Mariners more flexibility in games that Mitch Garver — whose career high in games played is 103 — is not in the lineup. While Bellinger isn’t a need for the Mariners, he lengthens the team’s lineup, presents the team with added versatility and helps them better compete with the Rangers and Astros.