Inside The Dodgers

Dodgers News: LA Non-Tenders Cody Bellinger; Set To Hit Free Agency

The speculations came true but Cody Bellinger can still come back to the team

Ryan Menzie

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Sources confirmed Friday that Dodgers outfielder Cody Bellinger received a non-tender from the team and officially make him a free agent. The former NL MVP posted a second career worse .210 batting average but still managed to pull in 19 home runs and 68 RBI's in 144 games. 

The biggest knock on Bellinger was his woes at the plate as he had some of his coldest streaks of his career. If Bellinger and the Dodgers can work out a contract on a cheaper deal than the $18 million he could have made, the Dodgers can fill a need in the outfield. 

What Bellinger lacked in hits he made up for in defensive plays. Bellinger was a staple to the Dodgers defense in the midst of such a high scoring offense. 

Paring Bellinger up with the strong pitching unit displayed for most of the season provided a lethal combo for most of the season, but Bellinger's hitting struggles came full circle when the team needed it the most. 

This move also opens the door once again to bring in Aaron Judge on a big deal. Although the possibility of signing Judge doesn't seem likely, bringing in more outfield help and moving Mookie Betts around can be in the cards. For now. 

With plenty of time left to decide the Dodgers will have a deeper look at how they're going to work around this move. The hope is to bring Bellinger back on a cheaper deal for less of a headache, but it's hard to blame of Bellinger chooses to find more money elsewhere. 

If this is truly the end of Bellinger's tenure, what will he most be remembered for? 

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Ryan Menzie
RYAN MENZIE

Ryan Menzie | Lead Contributor Ryan is an LA Native who has grown up praising the greatest athletes LA has had to offer. A love for sports ranging between basketball, football, volleyball and golf, a future Sports Management Masters graduate, and being engulfed into organized sports since seven years old, the passion and love for sports never ends for Ryan. If the words he writes don't paint the full picture of his true fandom, he will find more ways than one to tell the story and be more than willing to open up a nice LA sports debate with you. Favorite Player: Mookie Betts Favorite Moment: 2020 World Series. The Lakers won the NBA title and the Dodgers secured the World Series only a couple of months later. During such a rough time with COVID-19 and such a bleak look at how sports has tried to overcome the circumstances, it was a relief to see the night sky lit up for many nights and a makeshift parade in LA when it seemed like we needed it the most.

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