Dodgers News: Bellinger An ‘Interesting’ Option Down The Road

Ah, prospects and lower-tiered talents making enough noise in spring ball to “challenge” incumbents. It’s a tradition unlike any other, really. People like change for the sake of change at many times, and here we are.

Cody Bellinger is today’s popular name, but, boy, it’s pretty hard not to be impressed by what he’s done.

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This, via Buster Olney of ESPN.

The team’s staff has been impressed by Cody Bellinger’s offense and defense. The 20-year-old first baseman and outfielder, drafted in the fourth round in 2013, won’t make the Opening Day roster of a team loaded with depth, but he could become an interesting option down the road. Bellinger hit 30 homers in Class A last season.

Now, no one is so crazy as to think Bellinger could challenge Adrian Gonzalez or even Scott Van Slyke for innings at first base for the Dodgers. Bellinger has a couple levels of minor league ball to get through before the major leagues become an option.

If only they used that same logic throughout the organization.

We’re hearing the same kind of conversation revolve around the centerfield position, where Joc Pederson is somehow being leapfrogged by Trayce Thompson, despite outhitting the latter .318 to .219 in the spring. Now, that’s fun with small sample size, but what exactly are people basing that preferred change if not what they’ve done side by side in these last couple weeks?

Anywho, Bellinger has been very, very impressive. He will, eventually, be the heir to Gonzalez at first (unless some crazy acquisition is made at that position). I’d simply like to see some common sense anytime a player exceeds spring expectations.

That’s all it comes down to, isn’t it? If Player X has expectations set at a certain level, and Player Y has expectations set at a lower level, of course there’s an improved chance of Player Y leapfrogging Player X according to fans.