Cody Bellinger used to top the Los Angeles Dodgers’ hot favorite players of the all-time list until 2020. The slugger won the Rookie of the Year award for his National League debut in 2017; that was followed by an MVP in 2019 and a World Series Championship in 2020 during his stay with the team. However, his exit from the Dodgers scene wasn’t as pleasant as the memories he had made there.

Bellinger was signed by the Chicago Cubs last year for a one-year-long contract worth $17.5 million. He proved to be one of the strongest players in the Cubs clubhouse in the following games. However, a week back, the Cubs announced that their star slugger has declined a mutual option for the coming season worth $25 million so that he can explore his free agency market this offseason. Seeing his robust form these days, a question comes to mind. What went down between Cody Bellinger and the Dodgers that made them drop one of the greatest players in the MLB?

The Dodgers’ Cody Bellinger Conundrum

Bellinger was playing with the Dodgers in perfect form until the end of the 2020 season. He ended the previous season on a superb note; he bagged a .305 batting average, scoring 47 homers and 34 triples with 115 RBIs across 156 games. However, his form saw an unimaginable decline in 2020; and it was neither Bellinger’s nor the Dodgers’ fault.

The All-Star five-tool slugger had to slow down on the diamond in 2020 following his shoulder surgery. Ironically, it happened just one month after the Dodgers’ World Series win. What was the reason for the injury?

After scoring a homer during the National League Championship Series in November 2020, Bellinger dislocated his shoulder while celebrating the win with fellow slugger Kiké Hernández. One may be inclined to call it a play of fate. It gave Bellinger a chance to know his place on the team, much to his chagrin.

There was not so much blame to play in a game of unavoidable circumstances

Neither Bellinger nor the Dodgers deserve any blame for their choices, contrary to what most fans believe. Bellinger heavily underperformed in the following two seasons after his surgery. Compared to his stupefying 2019 stats of scoring 121 runs and 170 hits across 156 games, Cody scored 33, 39, and 70 runs and 51, 52, and 106 hits across 56, 95, and 144 games in the years ’20, ‘21, and ’22, respectively. The Dodgers could have given Bellinger a chance, but there are several reasons why they did not.

And although most of them are justified, two stand out due to their tricky nature. First of all, the Dodgers were still trying to claim back their 2020 World Series throne; one cannot blame a team that has been an underdog for 32 years in the MLB scene for trying their best to keep the glory intact; they were willing to pay whatever price the diamond demanded of them.

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The second and more messed-up reason of the lot was Bellinger’s agent, Scott Boras, meddling in the whole shebang. “He has surgery, and the Dodgers asked him to play with a 35% strength deficiency, and then with COVID, he was deprived of the expert medical treatment,”, Boras reportedly revealed to the LA Times.

It sounded quite a lot like he blamed the team for Cody’s situation. Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations for the Dodgers club, reflected on Boras’ blame, calling it “convenient”. A player cannot stick with his team, nor the team with him, if so much bitterness goes down between them after 4 years’ worth of loyalty.

A bewildering change in the Cody Bellinger tide

Boras’ entire story changed in a phone interview done by the same LA Times this Wednesday. Not only did he say that the Dodgers did not force Bellinger to play with a hurt shoulder; but he also revealed that Cody went into the playoffs to show good team spirit. “And he had a clear strength deficit because of the surgery,”, Boras reflected. It’s a little too late now for a moment of truth—or is it?

Cody Bellinger got back into his roaring form during his time with the Cubs. He etched one of the greatest comeback stories in the MLB with his recent Silver Slugger win for the second time, after acquiring all the other dream awards like a Gold Glove, Rookie of the Year, MVP, and a World Series ring.

And yes, the Cubs’ trust in him was quite instrumental to his success this season, but it was his fighting spirit that kept him going through the adversities. He ended the season with a .307 BA under his belt, hitting up 153 with 26 homers, 29 double hits, 97 RBIs, 20 stolen bases, and a sky-high OPS of .881 across 130 games. An authentic example of King Bruce’s return to reign over the world, isn’t it?

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Bellinger is far from settling down for any team that will give him a chance to play for a hefty price this offseason. If Boras’ indications are any clue, he might be open to joining the Dodgers again. He might also choose a more popular club, like the Yankees or the Giants. But that will be up for speculation until an official offer is made to him. Will season 2024 see another Berserk Bellinger flaming through the gridiron? Watch this space to see how the story unfolds!

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