Dodgers: What Should LA Do With Struggling Cody Bellinger?
It’s been a rough year to say the least for Dodgers slugger Cody Bellinger. The former MVP has dealt with injuries all season long and when he’s been healthy has struggled mightily with the bat. We break down Belli’s down year and discuss why he hasn’t been able to get it going this season.
Next, we dive into what the Dodgers should do if the 2-time All-Star can’t turn it around and who they could consider playing in center field. Plus, will the Dodgers consider playing newly acquired All-Star, Trea Turner in center field?
WATCH
Now, even after a 2-5 night, Cody is still hitting only .163 on the season, adding a career-low .548 OPS in 48 games. On the other hand, newly acquired All-Star Trea Turner is batting .322 on the season and has played 45 career games in center field. In fact, he made his MLB debut in center. However, he hasn’t played the position since his rookie season in 2016.
Chances are higher that Chris Taylor would see the lion’s share of time in center IF the Dodgers do decide to move away from a struggling Bellinger.
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NEXT: Trea Turner’s Dodger Debut Will Have to Wait
AAA…3 weeks
Agree. It may do him good. Anyone else would have already been sent down.
Over the last month, Bellinger is hitting .111. What is the point of having “Cody Auto Out” in the lineup? That’s not a rhetorical question.
AMEN
Exactly, Dodger 1955. Right now, defence or no defense he doesn’t belong in the starting lineup and it appears all too obvious to all of us here.
Cody Bellinger needs to spend some time in triple A so that he can work on his offense and have time to get himself together. Although Cody has shown us that he possesses amazing skill and talent, Cody’s mental game is way off right now. For the most part, when Cody steps into the batter’s box, he appears resigned to nonproduction. He definitely needs some time away to get it together for himself and the rest of our team.
Yeah, Bellinger was 2-5 last night and one should have been called an error and the other went 60’. Platoon him. Plays against righties and come into games as late inning defensive replacement. And pinch runner. That’s his role.
sending Bellinger to AAA will not solve his hitting problems. He needs to back to the alternate training site and rebuild his swing without consideration for.game outcomes. He is being coddled by Roberts and Dodgers executives where he should be treated the same as others.
Correct, he needs some work at alternate site. His stance and approach and his current mind set are what’s the result of his .160 BA among other things. Roberts keeps him in lineup for his defense in CF but he’s hurting the team offensively big time.
Agree. At this point it’s not about fine tuning his swing at the MLB level. It’s about reinventing it. And he needs expert help to do it. He can’t do it by himself. He needs to listen up and stop resisting help. At this point he has nothing to lose by totally reinventing his swing at the direction of experts. If he doesn’t he will be a far bigger disappointment than Yasiel Puig. I would also suggest some psychiatric help too. Like Puig, a lot of his problems seem to be from the neck up.
Mentioning that some of his problems may from the neck up is not something I have seen written about, but I have wondered how much there might be to that. You have to believe our two hitting coaches and others have worked with him, I even have seen Pujols talking to him after at bats. So, is he stubborn and doesn’t want to change, and thinks he knows better? What makes me wonder this is a comment he made several years ago when Roberts benched him for not hustling on an extra base hit. Bellinger didn’t agree with the reason for the benching and said no one was going to tell him how to play baseball. So, is that what this is? Whatever it is, I hope he can find the answers because it is painful watching.
Leave him alone you made him change what he was doing get rid of roberts now save the year before it is to late
Let me say this again with the arrival of Tree Turner:
MY Dodger Lineup Suggestion for Roberts
2B Trea Turner
CF Chris Taylor
3b Justin Turner
IB Max Muncy
SS Corey Seager
RF Mookie Betts
C Will Smith
LF AJ Pollock
There is no hole in this lineup, Roberts create his own holes and weakens the lineup overtime he gives healthy players a “scheduled” day off, especially when they are hot at the plate.
Sorry, But Bellinger does not belong right now in the majors and the sooner the Dodgers realize this the sooner he can get some help
I wish you weren’t right, but you are.
Look out then because you’re right on what Roberts does with lineups as ya said, sitting the hot bat at the wrong times. Look out for today’s possible ‘ get away’ lineup with Monday being an off day. Bur at least if the stubborn Roberts insists on Bellinger in this lineup, he should bat NO HIGHER than 7th.
Right on! Now, with the addition (soon, after his COVID quarantine is over) Trea Turner can play center. What a move by Andrew Friedman, his second and possibly third elements of the recent weeks are so cool.
Agreed…best lineup
You put Mookie Betts in the 6th hole……???
My guess is Mookie will remain in the lead off spot as long as he remains healthy enough to start.
Why not put Pollock in CF, Taylor in LF and Turner at 2B. Or if they want to get Mookie through the season, he looked good at 2B today. But any way you slice it, there is just no way you can start Bellinger. He’s gotta ride out the season on the bench. Pinch hit, be a defensive replacement late, maybe the occasional start of someone has an off day. Then give him a chance this off season to get it right. See what he can do next spring training a year after the surgery.
Agree. Except for using Bellinger as a pinch hitter when you have several pitchers that are more capable of getting on base? 🙂
Hire Tony Gwynn to teach him how to make contact.
Gwynn has been gone for seven years after an awful fight and loss to cancer
Ok then, call Ted Williams.
I forgot he passed, I just was thinking of the article he and Wade Boggs wrote on the mechanics and approach to hitting.
Athletes are suppose to work on their game in the off season.Apparently Cody never got the message.Cody can’t be fixed by tinkering with his mechanics.He needs a complete overhaul and better decisions on pitch selection.Turners batting instructor is a local guy and I think the Dodgers hitting coach was his assistant.He has no choice but to start taking lessons NOW or sit on the bench.
In Bellinger’s defense he was recovering from shoulder surgery during the off-season. It’s kind of hard to work on your swing under those circumstances. But he was hitting poorly long before that, and hasn’t hit well since the midpoint of the 2019 season. It’s time for an intervention.
Yep, it’s time for him to do so out of the lineup for now. We have CF covered one way or another and Cody’s defense is still not enough to warrant him starting and batting any higher than 7th in the order.
I dont think he’s been healthy for 2 yrs. And OF COURSE he couldn’t work on things in the off-season, with the surgery. And then the broken femur (that’s the BIG bone in the leg, hard to break). His base is still not right, and his upper body quickness has not recovered after the surgery. I doubt he’ll be right till next year.
My only idea for now, to try to salvage SOMETHING, is to go to camelback & work some physical therapy & swing doctoring, for the whole month of August & more if necessary. Unless the 2-5 day starts a hitting streak, in which case ignore all I said.
I DO think it would be stupid to trade a 26 yr old recent MVP for no better reason than lack of production while injured/recovering from injuries & surgery. We would come to regret that so badly. At the LOW end of production he’s at least a konerko. Just let him regain his strength & quickness, THEN let’s judge.
He had shoulder surgery. That’s a lot.
Bellinger definitely needs to go down to minors even AA and work it out without risking outcome of mlb dodger games. Really a shame this situation is due in large part to the infamous shoulder bash celebration in last years postseason
Should have got rid of him for bullpen help and an elite rh hitter!
It’s a little late for that. I know it doesn’t have much to do with it but he needs a trip to the barber badly!
So, each time you fans take a trip to the ballpark, visit online for merchandise, remember.
Bellinger makes 16 Million for 2021.
Belli’s swing is long and slow with a terrible swing path. He is defeated before he even gets to the plate. He needs instuctional help NOW!……with a month to show improvement, he can still contribute and come back with the Sept call ups. The longer the Dodgers wait and leave him in the lineup will result in fewer wins and an angry fan base.
Right now Bellinger is just reinforcing all of these bad habits whenever he steps into the batters box. He needs to go back to square one at the alternate site. If that’s successful, some time in AAA to build confidence. Otherwise his days as a Dodger are numbered.
What a dumb remar makes 16 million!Price makes 30 million.Cody will come out of his slump dodgers need Reggie Smith as a hitting coach get rid of the Boozo they have.Reggie help Piazza turn into the best hitting catcher.Leave Cody alone he saves a lot of hits dodgers don’t have a talented center fielder like him we have enough offense to support Cody’s hitting slump.
You have got to be kidding me, baseball is a business and winning games is the objective, this isnt little league where everyone gets a participation trophy . At the end of the season when the Dodgers finish 3 games out, i would love to hear your justification for leaving belli and his .160 avg in the lineup the rest of the year.
Right on, Jeff!!
Louis, correct on the defensive end with Cody but the Dodgers, being inconsistent on offense cannot afford to ‘carry ‘Bellinger offensively. As it is Dodgers may have to settle for a Wild Card spot because Giants are going nowhere. All one has to know is how Dodgers lost 5 of the recent 7 games played with SF to understand that. They showed why they are on top of NL West and Dodgers are 3 games behind them.
So right on Paul, this inconsistency on offense is just so sad this year. Even if there is some runs will the bullpen hold, a million dollar question. My choice was to trade for the back end but did get a hitter thankfully. Bellinger has been lost for awhile now, it started back in the end of the mvp year if I’m correct. Now with weight of more money, pregnant girlfriend, and the expectations to produce his load has got to be pretty heavy. A decision needs to be made. Hopefully there is a wild card spot !
And how many of those 5 were blown by Jansen and the bullpen? I would rather the Dodgers cut Jansen now so Roberts isn’t tempted to use him. Also, I would get rid of Roberts and bring in Mike Sciossia.
The inconsistent offense during those games also had a lot to do with those 5 losses Bases full, nobody out, a chance to go ahead but instead 3 straight batters followed with striking out. A better approach at the dish and maybe Jansen doesn’t even have to come in for a save.
You must be smokin the same stuff as Cody !
When a slump lasts 2 years, it’s not really a slump anymore. It’s the new normal.
Right on cause it’s gone way past a slump when the BA is hovering around .160. Not only that, he continues to struggle connecting on those same pitches middle to up in the zone and swinging under them or flail away at pitches low and outside.
That’s exactly right. It is confounding that he can somehow manage to swing underneath a pitch that is right down the middle. Every time.
Robert’s unwillingness to either send him to AAA or bench him is hurting the team. It is painfully obvious that when he steps to the plate it is 01, 0-2 then either a strike out or pop up. We will not be world champs again with him in the line up.
Yes, Oklahoma City or the alternate site for Bellinger. Taylor in center field; Trea at 2B, or flip them. This will be the best line-up, 1-8, in MLB. No days off for hot bats. Pujols to hit against left-hand pitching. More Smith, less Barnes. No pitcher to pitch 2 days in a row – there are 14 of them on the roster, effectively 16-17 due to their moving pitchers up and down to AAA and their use of the IL, it is rarely necessary. Scherzer, Buehler, Urias, Price, bullpen game, later Kershaw when ready, later still Duffy when ready. Roberts costs the Dodgers games they cannot afford to lose. He does not see what we mere ignorant fans can see – Bellinger is costing them games and needs to be sent down, Gonsolin was pitching injured, you can’t pitch Kenley Jansen two days in a row, etc.
Bellinger has remained in the lineup for his CF defense. But he should bat no higher than 7th like I mentioned before. At the same time he is an offensive liability, plain and simple. But notice today Dodgers won 13 to 0 without Cody in the lineup. Time for Roberts and FO to make some tough decisions here.
Send Cody to AAA to retool swing and bring him back in September. He is unworthy of playing at the moment. He is of no value to Dodgers hitting below Mendoza.
Bellinger at the plate is painful to watch right now, please send him away to get some help.
What’s really maddening about Bellinger, is that even when he just puts the ball in play, like when he hit the grounder yesterday, that deflected off the Pitcher for a hit, he’ll swing even harder the next AB. It’s as if his mentality is: “Okay, I did the ‘small ball’ thing and it worked, I’ve checked off that box, so now, I’ve earned the right to really let loose, the next AB.”
He refuses to try and control his swing for more than 1 AB because he’s so convinced that swinging harder is the answer to catching up to pitches he consistently swings and misses on.
Despite his defense in CF, his ability to play there and at 1st base and his excellent base running, the Dodgers just can’t continue to live with a player who is as close to an automatic out as there is in all of MLB and a player who has demonstrated in the past that he has the ability to make adjustments but who refuses to do so.
Newsflash: Bellinger is not in today’s starting lineup and basically because Dodgers are facing a LHP. But also because tomorrow is an off day too for him to begin to figure things out. But he should be sent to alternate site for that for the time being.
A player of Bellinger caliber can turn it around at any time.. I believe its more mental than physical and something as a professional baseball player he will learn to deal with.. You can see the frustration in his face.. However with that being said, another factor is can he adjust his swing to accommodate what pitchers now-know is his weakness.
Lastly, Roberts is a old-school very loyal manager and with it holds faith that his player will work it out.
His straight up crowding the plate stance needs adjustment as per the Dodgrr broadcasters who see him on a daily basis. But how much longer can the team afford to ‘carry’ him offensively?
Paul:
Roberts has made it quite clear, he won’t “carry” Bellinger past November 1 or if his average drops below .002, which ever comes first.
One has to keep one’s sense of humor when it comes to the Roberts/Bellinger show. If you try to figure the alleged rationale, you’ll probably drive yourself nuts.
The Dodgers are going to win it all again, if DR doesn’t screw it up. By now, it’s obvious that the Giants are for real. But Sherzer and TT puts the Dodgers over the top. We can finally get away from regular bullpen games with Sherzer. TT along with Betts and Seager returning takes out the remaining offensive weak links (Bellinger and Lux) as long as DR plays it right. JT is hitting right around 300. Pollack is over 300. And TT brings a 322 BA with speed and power into the lineup. The Dodgers won 13-0 today with Betts getting 2 hits including a home run. And TT hasn’t even made his debut yet. The Dodgers are going to be a very hard team to beat from here on out. Great job by Friedman. We’re still iffy at the closer spot. But this team should put up a lot of runs that mitigate tight game closes. This has been a weird year, but we are now in position to blow away the competition ala 2020. Go Dodgers.
Probably should have kept Joc Pederson instead of Cody Bellinger, he’s such a solid person…. the chemistry between Albert and Joc (and their common cause supporting their brother and daughter is so strong)! Bellinger to Cubs, Pederson for platoon spot is worth it! Batting .160 is way below the “Mendoza” line, Joc’s doing a lot better than than.
Unfortunately, over the last month Bellinger is more like .118 or so. Not improving, just losing more ground. Nearly an automatic out, now.
Well for one thing, Joc is now with the Braves. Not sure Dodgers would simply deal Bellinger to Atlanta for Joc straight up now. Also Joc is a FA again after this season.
it’s not only the automatic-out-ish nature of his ABs, but also the non-productive outs… if there is a runner on with less than 2 outs, at least advancing him would be an improvement… a baby step forward. if the Dodgers were up by 5-10 games up in the division, then a long leash to “figure things out”, “tweak”, etc. can be afforded… but, there is not that luxury now… so, at a minimum he should bat 7th or 8th and only when a right-hander starts and ideally not when Barnes (who also, often looks lost at the plate) is also in the lineup, so that 3 near automatic outs are avoided at the bottom of the lineup.
Send Bellinger to OKC for him to work on his swing. The Dodgers are in a stretch run and no room for a struggling guy on the lineup.
Bellinger will be better with his talent when he settles in OKC.
I dont think he’s been healthy for 2 yrs. And OF COURSE he couldn’t work on things in the off-season, with the surgery. And then the broken femur (that’s the BIG bone in the leg, hard to break). His base is still not right, and his upper body quickness has not recovered after the surgery. I doubt he’ll be right till next year.
My only idea for now, to try to salvage SOMETHING, is to go to camelback & work some physical therapy & swing doctoring, for the whole month of August & more if necessary. Unless the 2-5 day starts a hitting streak, in which case ignore all I said.
I DO think it would be stupid to trade a 26 yr old recent MVP for no better reason than lack of production while injured/recovering from injuries & surgery. We would come to regret that so badly. At the LOW end of production he’s at least a konerko. Just let him regain his strength & quickness, THEN let’s judge.
In the short term, the first thing the Dodgers should do is get him out of the lineup and get him out of the spotlight. Sending him to Camelback is probably the best option at this time. So far there’s no sign of a hitting streak but even if he has a couple good days, that doesn’t mean he’s out of his subsurface slump. HIs production over the last month has been so bad the Mendoza line is out of sight.
He definitely should not be in the lineup, but guess what. Tuesday against the Astro’s righty McCuller’s, guess who the genius that is Doc Roberts will be penciling back in the starting lineup Yup, old #162
Agree with all that recommended a trip to anywhere a hitting instructor can attempt to correct a swing that is terminal right now. Think he’s got some screws loose and if not demoted, should be strictly a pinch hitter against righties and traded in the off season. Some team will be convinced they could cure him and swap for some sort of value (Who wouldn’t want a head case that could slash .162.)
Bellinger needs to be sent down to OKC and told in no uncertain terms he needs to adjust his all or nothing mode of hitting. Pitchers are smart in MLB and Bellinger needs to realize he is useless trying to pull every pitch out of Dodger Stadium. If he doesn’t learn to adjust, he’ll be gazing up at the Mendoza line for the rest of his short career. If he learns to wait on the ball and use all fields, he could become what he is capable of. If not, TreaTurner will be the new center fielder
I have waited to the end of a good winning day to write this. We all have discussed Cody Bellinger’s problems and deficiencies for so long, it is brining too many negative thoughts and divisive vibes with our fan base. Cody has also brought a downer to the dugout morale with his moping around and the “ feeling sorry for myself look”. We should be talking about the new energy coming to the team and the bright outlook for the home stretch to the playoffs. Ship him out, have him correct himself, and only return as a new man …..w/out interfering the team’s morale to moving forward. New articles or subjects that show more positive optimism on other players should be discussed
At the beginning of this year I had to figure that coming off shoulder surgery, he won’t have the same power.and RBI numbers as in 2019. It takes a good year to fully recover. Ask Adrian Gonzalez and the same happened with him. But I certainly didn’t think this would really affect his offense to the tune of a .160 BA with about a 32% K rate either. Maybe he needs to step aside and go back to the drawing board but only if he’s indeed healthy enough to do so.
One thing Hershiser said and then I started to notice is he is swinging under the pitch A LOT. The hitting coaches need to work on a change in his swing trajectory as well as changing his 2 strike approach. And–he is being paid, right? When I my bosses at work (before I retired) told me to do something , I had to do it. Cody should be sat down with April 2019 video every day. Then straight to the batting cage. And given scenarios in the cage. What did he do in 2019? He can be corrected. But the blessing in disguise is that in a week or so, there will be completion for playing time. That may help get him on track.
I am not sure demoting Cody to minor leagues is the best idea but I still don’t understand why the manager and/or coaches can’t sit him down now and tell him he MUST make changes in his set up and stance – as poster Wayne so aptly put it -if you are being paid, your boss has the right to give you an order
I suspect his shoulder is not right yet. It takes a long time to get all the way back to normal. And his swing is so violent, with a lot of moving parts that any problem will be exaggerated. I really don’t think he will be an effective hitter until next year.
“his swing is so violent,” Only because he swings for the fences every pitch.
*competition* for playing time
The following players MUST remain in the lineup along with T Turner when he arrives.:
CT3, Pollock, Seager, Betts. Muncy, and of course JT and all on a daily basis and that means Roberts.must not sit any of the above mentioned just to keep Bellinger in CF. An occasional day off if needed of course.
Send him down to minors for some new batting rehab..
even Hershiser has commented that Belli swings under every high pitch. opponents pitch him high fastballs he doesn’t touch. that is mostly due to Belli dropping his hands before every pitch. he can’t do that and still hit high pitches. simple fix: hold your d#*m hands higher and keep them there.
Wayne Riddle, Jeff, and others we have talked about Cody’s problems from 7/10/21 on Eric Eulau’s editorial. There have been many discussions about the same thing over and over on everybody’s ideas. Like I said we must move on …..enough have been discussed and we are just repeating the same thing. We need to focus more on the team and players who are important contributors to be a championship team. So much space allotted to Belli has max-ed out and the venting is monotonous.
People, we also posted a lot by an article by Clint Pasillas on 7//19/21. If you check it out, it’s the same comments by everyone including regretfully me.
OKC! Don’t wait! If he were on the injured list we’d lose him for a few weeks. Instead, he’d use the time in AAA to figure out his woes.
I believe we all want Bellinger to do well, He is enjoyable to watch when he is in the groove. But Roberts with all his analytical software and brainiac front office guys with him can not even look at the obvious, CODY IS NOT GOING TO HIT 3 RUN HR”S EVERY TIME HE COMES UP TO BAT!
Cody’s line from 4 years in the playoffs tell us quite a bit about his swing, he it is:
201 AB / BA .189 / 72 K’s / 8 HR
Unfortunately he is not doing anything to save his career. Sorry, but if a Garvey, Smith, Baker or Piazza were struggling this bad and came up to bat with men on first and second with no outs, they would bunt to move someone over or shorten their swing to put the ball in play.
The shift usually leaves a large hole on the left side for Bellinger take the time to either bunt to it or hit through it, But sadly he swings for the fences. Great CF’s who can’t hit are a dime a dozen in the minor league, I hope Belli figures this out before its too late.
Lets brought Belli to Triple-A for few weeks until such time he can improve his swings. And that scenario might improve his offense with the help of hitting coaches there.
Send him home to his mother and father and gave them re-register him in the little league.
Pretty easy out for opponents nowadays. High fastball or inside curve or cutter just off the plate for the K. He’s constantly swinging for the fences, and his timing is way off. He should level out his swing to become a contact hitter,imho. He’s fast enough to beat out throws for infield hits, and his natural power will still send some balls into the water in SF. I like the idea of sending him back to AAA and reinventing his swing. As a former MVP, the upside is high.
Cody should go back to Arizona and find his stroke. His spot in the lineup is a black hole. If the hitting coaches can’t get an MVP I the league to at least make good contact they should be replaced. Let him play some triple A games and get his confidence back. He looks lost.
Next season, he’ll have a higher BA.
Given the way he’s hitting this year, that might mean that next year he’s only hitting .175 or so!
Amazing that a guy who has played the game for so long, from Willamsburg to LA, does not have a clue how to hit. Physical talent, low IQ, Bellinger should have been traded last week. This is a 2+ year problem. Bench him or send him down…..now.
Last year when Bellinger was struggling he was crowding the plate. Once he moved off the plate he came out of it. So what’s he doing now? Crowding the plate again!
let belli play he will break out right now its mental and when someone is going through mental stuff he needs support he’s good and we all know it hes young enough he can handle it til it turns around i dont believe belli is washed up, support more than anything he needs to keep hitting it’l turn, back to triple a it may help but he going to burn it down really believe he needs to be hear play til it turns because turn it will only unless he feels hes trully lost it and i dont, when he hits his neeed homers andim saying a week or two of sready play great catches during playoff hes almost here hes hit the bottom few more at bats watch 2or 3 week or less.
I like Cody Bellinger but he needs to go to the minors ,relax and get his swing back. He needs to work on being a hitter and not just a slugger. The Dodgers also need to send Dave Robert’s to the minors to try to learn how to make right decisions as a manager. He knows nothing about being a baseball manager. The Dodgers mgm should have known better than to hire him in the first place. Give the Dodgers players a real chance to win!!! Thank you ??
He needs work at AAA. First he needs to take advantage of what defenses are giving him. Find a way to exploit that with your speed. He says he feels good with his swing by the results aren’t there. It’s time to step back and take a longer look
Combination of girlfriend/baseball mental issues. I believe he may be having difficulty keeping focused and everything together. Best send Cody to AAA for awhile.
Then see how it goes.
If you’re not sending him down, use him as a defensive replacement in the 7/8/9th inning. I agree, he needs to reinvent his swing.
Stardom came way too soon for this guy. He’s gotten too comfortable and the club enabled him.
Now?
He and I club cannot fix this situation, without him just playing it out, to the dismay of the fans.
The Dodgers shouldcrealuze by now that Bellinger was a two year player and that he will not return to his par excellence years. I would trade Bellinger while he might still have sone value. It’s unfortunate, but he is not the first to fade in performance after having a couple if great years. I think of Karl Spooner who was 4-0 at the end of his first appearances. He turned out to be a hope gone awry. Same with Belli.
He will find it. He still comes up with great defensives’ plays. Give him a little more time
If he was to go to another team, wouldn’t the coaches be able to fix his swing. So why can’t the Dodgers coaches, stop everything on him and fix his swing they have 2 months to do it.
The Dodgers are in a tough position with Bellinger. Take away his MVP year and he’s a career .245 hitter. Since the All-Star break in 2019 (MVP year) he’s a .206 hitter. His batting average, discounting the MVP year, has been on a down trend since 2018. This trend might be exacerbated by his shoulder injury but the trend predates the injury by a year or more.
I watch his at bats and I see no attempt at any adjustments. He swings out of his boots, looks awkward doing so. It’s so bad now that pitchers don’t even bother to throw him strikes. He will swing at anything in the same time zone. He’ll jump in the box in Dodger’s Stadium and swing at (and miss) pitches thrown in Anaheim during Angels’ games. He’s currently on course to hit .180 with 150+ strikeouts. He has shown no sign that this trend will ever reverse.
Remember that in 2017 he had a bad attitude at times on the field. He was pretty much full of himself and had to be benched and face some manager “chats”. I’m wondering if his real problem centers on his not being coachable.
He’s back to arbitration next year. He’s making $16 million in 2021 and made $11 million in 2020. The arbiter isn’t likely to drop him to $3 million – a perfectly justified range. Anything more is too much at this point.
I don’t think the Dodgers can afford to keep him around. He might make a turn around elsewhere which is always a risk. The Dodgers have done quite well for the past two seasons while getting no offensive production from him. They’d get along at least just as well without him.