The Los Angeles Dodgers still don’t know what to do with outfielder Cody Bellinger.
They value his defense in center field, but his decline as a hitter has been baffling and hard to explain.
He was the National League MVP in 2019, but since that year, his offensive production has tanked to the point where he has been a well-below average hitter in 900 plate appearances between 2021 and 2022.
Bellinger is about to enter his final season of arbitration, with a projected salary of around $16 million.
That’s a lot to pay for a glove-first outfielder who hasn’t shown anything offensively in years.
That’s why the Dodgers are having internal discussions about non-tendering him.
If that’s the case, they need a new center fielder, or at least someone who boasts a similarly great glove to play semi-regularly there.
According to Dodgers insider Fabian Ardaya, the team might be interested in a player that just became a free agent.
“Might be an intriguing outfield option if the Dodgers do wind up moving on from Cody Bellinger,” Ardaya tweeted, referring to Kevin Kiermaier.
Might be an intriguing outfield option if the Dodgers do wind up moving on from Cody Bellinger. https://t.co/U9khkDg7Ws
— Fabian Ardaya (@FabianArdaya) November 10, 2022
A Three-Time Gold Glove Winner
Kiermaier may be 32 already, but he is a three-time Gold Glove winner in center field and knows everything there is to know about defense.
The Tampa Bay Rays had a $13 million club option on him, which they declined.
He could be an option for the Dodgers or any other team at a lower price tag.
The question for him is how much can he produce with the bat.
He has a career .715 OPS, which is on the underwhelming side, but does have some power and speed to make his overall profile interesting, at the very least.
He should be a cheaper alternative than what Bellinger is projected to make, that’s for sure.
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