Dodgers: MLB Writer Believes Cody Bellinger Could Break Salary Arbitration Record

Already, we have speculated about Cody Bellinger being MLB’s next $400 million dollar player. However before we get to that point, Bellinger will go through the salary arbitration process if he’s not signed to a long-term contract extension by the Dodgers.

Now, MLB.com has several players and abritration cases to watch in 2020. Notably they mention Cody Bellinger as a player to keep an eye on during his arbitration process.

https://twitter.com/DiamondHoggers/status/1215008527984582658?s=20

MLB insider Mark Feinsand points out Bellinger’s impressive resume. Furthermore, it’s hard to find a case-study that has both accomplished as much at Bellinger’s at his age and went through the arbitration process.

Will Bellinger land the biggest first-time arbitration salary ever?

Kris Bryant currently holds that distinction with his $10.85 million salary from 2018, when he set a new standard for first-year arbitration-eligible players. Bryant had won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in ’15, following that up with an NL MVP Award in ’16. He played only 102 games after cashing in.

Like Bryant, Cody Bellinger has won NL Rookie of the Year and NL MVP Awards, but his MVP season came in his third year, giving him the ultimate platform season by which to judge his case.

Bellinger is estimated to earn $11 million (Cot’s) and $11.6 million (MLBTR), either of which would break Bryant’s record. While it feels like a forgone conclusion that Bellinger will establish a new mark, the bigger question might be whether the Dodgers and Bellinger can settle on a number or if a hearing will be required to come to a resolution.

In short, you begin to hear about the point in time when young players ‘get expensive’ Undeniably the Dodgers and Bellinger are getting closer to this moment.

Check out the last sentence in the snippet. Therein lies the key, which is the Dodgers and Bellinger settling on a long-term extension before this becomes much of a conversation.

Of course, that would require a long-term commitment by the organization that would be both lengthy and high in numbers. Still, the contract could be written in a manner that saves the Dodgers money now, rather than Bellinger asking for $425 million in a few years. In this case, the player would be sacrificing overall dollars for lifetime security. Making it a long term win for both sides involved.

NEXT: Former Dodgers Star Breaks Down Bellinger’s Swing