Cody Bellinger Could Reportedly Be Traded: Should the Dodgers Bring Him Back?

The Chicago Cubs could be sellers this season but they don’t have many veteran trade candidates.

With that being said, Cody Bellinger would be interesting and teams would entertain the idea of trading for him — but should the Los Angeles Dodgers?

The quick answer is, no.

There is no guarantee that the Cubs will be interested in selling off any of their talent and Bellinger back to the Dodgers doesn’t make sense. He has become a true utility player for the Cubs playing five different positions this season. Most of his starts have been in the outfield and primarily in centerfield but his stats are almost equivalent to those of Andy Pages.

In the chart above, Pages is labeled “P” and Bellinger is “B.” When their stats are aligned, the biggest difference is the latter has more at-bats in six more games. He has a slightly higher batting average but Pages is hanging with Bellinger in almost every other category. Pages does lead with strikeouts but the Dodgers know that their former outfielder has recorded at least 150 strikeouts in a season three times.

Bellinger isn’t an upgrade at first base or designated hitter, and he isn’t Teoscar Hernández. Even Jason Heyward is swinging a hot bat right now despite not all of his cuts landing for hits. Center field is the only option for Bellinger if the Dodgers were to bring him back and he would only be a rental player.

As the deadline draws closer and if the Cubs are still struggling, a trade would look much more likely. Los Angeles woud also have to be interested and at this point, they would benefit much more by adding a shortstop with Mookie Betts on the injured list than another outfielder.

This entire situation is hypothetical, but trading for Bellinger doesn’t make the Dodgers better. He has yet to regain his 2019 MVP form, despite a solid 2023 season. He just brings back a bit of nostalgia for fans and that isn’t enough to win a World Series.

Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

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