(Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
Center fielder Cody Bellinger was coming off two down seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2021 and 2022.
That resulted in the team non-tendering him before the 2023 season.
The Chicago Cubs took a chance on him on a one-year, $17.5 million deal, with a mutual option for 2024 worth $12 million.
In Chicago, Bellinger has recovered the form that made him an MVP award winner a few years ago.
He has been particularly hot in his last month of action.
“Cody Bellinger since June 24: .446 batting average, .475 on-base percentage, .728 slugging percentage, 22 runs, 21 runs batted in,” Codify Baseball tweeted.
Cody Bellinger since June 24:
.446 batting average
.475 on-base percentage
.728 slugging percentage
22 runs, 21 runs batted inpic.twitter.com/ttDH75wf9W
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) July 23, 2023
Those are incredible numbers, particularly the average and the slugging percentage.
He has been the best hitter in the Cubs’ lineup, and has a solid .319/.369/.549 slash line, 14 round-trippers, and 12 stolen bases for the season as a whole.
The Cubs wanted to compete in 2023 and while they have definitely been better than they were last year and in 2021, their record is still below .500 at 48-51.
They do have a three-game winning streak and are just 6.5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central top spot.
They will play out the next few games leading up to the trade deadline, and then it will be decision-making time.
Will they acquire some talent and make a run at the Central?
Will they sell and trade Bellinger in the process?
Will they stay put?
Bellinger would be a remarkable acquisition by a contender, and the Cubs could get a quality prospect or two.
The next few days will be crucial to decide Bellinger’s future, but one thing is certain: he sure has increased his trade value in the last month.
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