Cody Bellinger was once regarded as one of the best players in all of baseball. He won an MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and also helped lead the ball club to their 2020 World Series victory. The Dodgers ultimately decided to move on from Bellinger this past offseason following a pair of down years for Bellinger. Nevertheless, the former All-Star outfielder will be missed in LA. Dave Roberts recently admitted that he's still going to “root” for Cody Bellinger while he's in Chicago with the Cubs, per The Athletic's Fabian Ardaya.
“I wish we could have done more to support him and get some more consistency for him,” Roberts said amid the Dodgers-Cubs spring training clash on Friday. “But our hope is that the change of scenery will kind of tap into something that’s already in there that we know. I’ll always root for Cody.”
Cody Bellinger's return to Dodger Stadium will be an emotional one. However, he played against his old team for the first time on Friday in a Dodgers' 9-7 spring training win over the Cubs. Bellinger performed well in Chicago's loss, recording a triple and a pair of RBIs.
Dodgers searching for Cody Bellinger replacement
The Dodgers are in the process of searching for a new centerfielder. They are expected to turn to an in-house option. James Outman, an exciting young prospect, has impressed during the spring and may be an option. Trayce Thompson, Jason Heyward, and others are also in the conversation.
Replacing Cody Bellinger's offensive production from the past two years won't prove to be much of a challenge given his immense struggles at the plate. However, replacing his superb defensive prowess and offensive upside will be the primary difficulty.
It will be interesting to see if a player such as Outman can run away with the starting centerfield job in 2023.
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