Cody Bellinger free-agent profile 2023-24

With the 2023 season behind us and the Hot Stove already burning, we’re taking a close look at some of the most prominent players on the free-agent market.

Name: Cody Bellinger
Position: CF/1B
Previous team: Chicago Cubs
Age (as of Opening Day 2024): 28
2023 stats: .307/.356/.525, 26 homers, 97 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, 95 runs, .881 OPS, 133 OPS+

Follow all of the latest Bellinger rumors here.

It wasn’t long ago that Bellinger was viewed as one of the best players in baseball. During the first three years of his career, Bellinger earned 2017 National League Rookie of the Year honors, a pair of All-Star selections, a Gold Glove, a Silver Slugger and of course, the ’19 NL Most Valuable Player Award.

In 2020, Bellinger and the Dodgers captured the World Series title, but his numbers during the pandemic-shortened season weren’t quite up to his lofty standards. They took a far bigger dip in ’21, and although he showed some improvement in ’22, he hardly resembled the star slugger that had taken the league by storm only a few years earlier.

The Dodgers non-tendered Bellinger after the 2022 campaign, so he bet on himself by signing a one-year deal with the Cubs, confident he would be able to rebound and take another shot at the free-agent market.

The bet paid off. Bellinger hit a career-high .307 for Chicago as he earned NL Comeback Player of the Year honors, registering his best on-base and slugging percentages since his MVP season. Bellinger — who led the Majors with 75 RBIs from July 1 through the end of the season — became just the seventh player in Cubs history to join the 20-20 club, joining Ronald Acuña Jr., Shohei Ohtani and Freddie Freeman as the only players in the Majors to hit at least .300 with 25 homers and 20 steals in 2023.

What will it all mean for Bellinger in free agency? The 28-year-old is widely considered to be the second-best hitter on the open market behind Ohtani, putting him in position to sign a nine-figure deal.

Yankees
Bellinger’s family history traces back to the Bronx, where his father, Clay, was a role player with the Yankees from 1999-2001. But the Yankees’ interest in the former NL MVP has more to do with their need for offense — specifically a left-handed bat — than any sentimentality. New York has a vacancy in center field, and although Jasson Domínguez could return to center on a full-time basis by 2025, Bellinger could play there next season before moving to first base once Anthony Rizzo’s contract expires. The biggest hurdle to a Bellinger-Yankees match could be Juan Soto, whom the Yankees might prefer as their top target this offseason.

Giants
San Francisco went big-name hunting last winter, missing out on Aaron Judge and nixing its deal with Carlos Correa due to an issue with his physical. Many expect the Giants to pursue more stars this offseason, with Bellinger among the leading candidates. The Giants’ .695 OPS ranked last in the NL in 2023, thanks in part to the outfield’s .682…