The offseason rumor mill churns on and on, and this time the San Francisco Giants are reportedly co-favorites to land Chicago Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger according to USA Today.
That other team, though, is reportedly the New York Yankees. Anyone having flashbacks to last offseason can be forgiven. It’s not necessarily inevitable that the Giants will be used as a price wedge runner-up by Bellinger’s agent, Scott Boras, but it is highly likely given recent history.
Still, Bellinger put up career best numbers in 2023, in which he batted .307/.356/.525 and had 4.4 bWAR. So he could be an excellent addition to a somewhat lackluster Giants offense. And as a former member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, would definitely fit the Farhan Zaidi model. (I’m kidding. Mostly.)
However, factoring in his final couple of seasons with the Dodgers could cause hesitation for the Giants, given injuries and career-low numbers. With Bellinger’s camp reportedly expecting to receive the second-biggest contract of the offseason behind Shohei Ohtani, the Giants may not be willing to make that kind of commitment based on the 2023 season alone.
Time will tell. In the meantime, enjoy your holiday!
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