Dodgers Rumors: Cody Bellinger Addresses the Trade Deadline

Belli is looking to be a hot commodity at the deadline.

Old friend Cody Bellinger has had a nice bounce back season away from the Dodgers in 2023. After hitting a combined .203 with a .686 OPS in his last three seasons with LA, he's improved to a .298 average with 9 home runs, 29 RBI and a .846 OPS in 58 games with the Cubs so far.

Those Cubs, however, find themselves in a precarious spot when it comes to their playoff chances. And as the calendar ticks closer to the trade deadline, Bellinger finds himself as a hot commodity in rumors leading up to August 1.

The former Dodger addressed the rumors this week, telling ESPN's Jesse Rogers among others that his preference is to stay in Chicago.

“I definitely know what is possible but I like being here and focusing on helping this team win while I am here and hopefully we can get on a roll and stay together. We have a really good group here.”

The Cubs entered the break in third place in the NL Central, 7 games back and 6.5 games out of a wild card spot.

For the still rebuilding Cubs, it's easy to look at the Bellinger situation two ways. Keep him and have him be part of the rebuild for the long haul. Or, trade him and acquire more assets for the next few years.

Up to this point, the Yankees have most often been linked to Bellinger but some Dodgers fans have thrown LA's hat into the ring to bring Belli back.

Thoughts on Cody Bellinger’s season so far with the Cubs? https://t.co/8Sm555EJ3m

— Dodgers Nation (@DodgersNation) July 8, 2023

A return of Bellinger could be fun, but it feels like it might be best to leave that chapter of Dodger baseball behind. The team seems invested in James Outman in center field and could use more help in the infield over the outfield, particularly after optioning Miguel Vargas to Triple-A over the weekend.