If The Dodgers Even Explore Trading Cody Bellinger, Your Editor Will Riot
If you have followed me on twitter, if you have read me here at Dodgers Nation, and if you’ve met me; you know Cody Bellinger is the straw that stirs my blue drink.
In other words, when Buster Olney tweeted this in the afternoon on Tuesday; my blood pressure rose a bit.
Dodgers have talked to other teams about moving two outfielders among the group of Kemp, Puig, Pederson, Bellinger, and as they look to re-shape payroll, they are also are prepared to move starting pitchers Rich Hill and Alex Wood.
— Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN) December 11, 2018
In fact, any of my comrades here will attest to the fact that I went from zero to sixty. I was – and currently am – a bit pissed off about it.
Now, this could simply be Buster Olney craftily throwing Bellinger’s name in a group to get some chatter. However, I don’t believe that. That isn’t Buster’s style. Furthermore, I think the Dodgers are open to trading Cody Bellinger if the price is right. And I think that this is completely negligent and borderline insanity.
Do I really think the Los Angeles Dodgers will trade Bellinger this offseason? No. Do I believe behind closed doors that they have warmed to the idea if X, Y, and Z fall into place? YES.
And there’s the rub. Surely, therein lies my entire problem.
Olney Connects Pollock To DodgersIt seemed obscene when the Miami Marlins whispered they would accept Bellinger for J.T. Realmuto a month ago. Certainly the Dodgers wouldn’t consider such a thing, right? Moreover, I believe it’s even more ludicrous that no one from one of the best organizations in sports has come out to say that Cody Bellinger is ‘untouchable’. Not Andrew Friedman, not Dave Roberts, not Friedman’s nephew.
It’s an insult to Bellinger and an insult to cornerstones everywhere – few are as gleamy as Cody Ballgame – that this has been allowed to marinade for an entire day.
The bottom line is this: what are you going to trade Bellinger for? Mike Trout, Francisco Lindor, Mookie Betts; you can forget those guys. Those are other team’s untouchable building blocks. Are you going to deal Bellinger for Noah Syndergaard or Jacob deGrom – both of whom are one toss from a surgery table – volatile as pitchers are to begin with.
Furthermore, any trade talk that makes way to the press with our 23-year old future superstar should be immediately shot down. If it happens I will stand at the mountaintop and raise Dodger Nation Hell. I will die proudly on this hill. You build around Bellinger and keep your paws off a solid roster. And quit being so in love with Bryce Harper while you’re at it – he had a similar WAR value to Bellinger and will cost at least ten times the amount per season.
So what say you, Nation? Who is with me? Stand with your editor and let your voice be heard. We WILL NOT stand for Cody Bellinger’s name being in trade rumors.
I hope Friedman or one of his pals sees this and realizes the pure insanity of it all. Shoot it down publicly!
I will Riot with you brother, they CAN’T touch The B man.
Thank YOU for joining the movement!
CB has the tools you’re looking for. Dude gets down the line with the best of them. Never seen a big man run that fast. Gold glove OF and 1B. Can win games so many different ways. Don’t even think about it. Harper stay away!!! Over-rated…..
Love it man, agree. #UntouchaBelli
It should be Pederson Puig Muncy and Kemp that get traded to reduce the amount of prospects required for the deal. Use 2 of them and a catching prospect to get Jose Abreu, sign Harper and then use the others to trade for pitching. If they continue with their same failure of a gameplan next year I’m done. It’s not enjoyable baseball, they were the most frustrating and least fun team to watch for a pennant winner in recent memory
I think Kemp is gone for a song and dance. Muncy maybe if they get the right reliever or piece in return. And I am really hoping that Puig fails a physical or some act of God keeps him in Dodger blue. I am not ready to live in a world where that tongue isn’t wagging late-night at Chavez. I’m sorry but if that’s wrong I don’t want to be right.
I agree! I am not ready to live in a world we’re Puig isn’t wearing Dodgers blue! I’m ok with letting go of Wood, Maeda, Kemp, Yimi Garcia and even Taylor but not another single soul!! ???
Amen brother! 66 forever blue!
No way Belli gets traded for the reasons you covered well in this post. Belli’s the bait to get the call, then they switch to the others. It’s posturing. Belli, Seager, Turner is the core of the offense. They don’t get traded. The freaking Marlins asked for Belli and prospects. What are they crazy. You give us JT and who else, and who else on your sorry a$$ roster?
I like it. There’s a reason he’s the lead dog being asked about by opposing teams.
Clint, in case this Dodger ‘brain trust’, and i use these words loosely, don’t realize it but Muncy is a defensive liability just about everywhere and would be a disaster playing an important middle INF. position like 2nd. Another thing is , that I want Bellinger to be back at 1st where he belongs FULL time, and no darn stupid platooning either.!
Clint, I sincerely on this I respect you for your passion…..and your willingness to call out the Dodgers brass. I’m exhausted reading Dodger blogs where the author just goes along and writes about whatever move is made. I cannot say I would make CB as untouchable as you. He’s young & as athletic as anyone but he still raw, unproven, & beat mentally in the box too much for my liking. He obviously has an enormous ceiling, but it’s just a ceiling, w no guarantees. If a team was willing to overpay for him w proven talent I would make the move. Again, respectively, I stand behind your passion as a fellow Dodger fan more then any debate of a player though. Thanks you for that read.
Hey thanks man! I will admit – I am defensive of Bellinger to a fault. That said, he and a few others are my last remaining guys I kind of defend and root for the name on the back instead of the front. When I was a kid, it was always about attachment to players. As a 36 year old now, I have a few sentimental favorites left in my foxhole (Bellinger, Muncy, Seager, Puig, Turner, CT3, Rich Hill) to name the core. Bellinger will always be special to me because of a bond my dad and I shared during his rookie season. Thanks so much for adding your thoughts to my post. I wanted to drop something with some color to it; rather than just reporting the news for once. We who write here all are just regular people with emotions too. Sometimes it’s fun to break that barrier. I will never be a parrot who supports everything the Dodgers do simply because ‘they’re professionals’. All organizations make mis-steps. Even the Dodgers. Thankfully, it seems that Olney kind of errantly reported this with follow up reports I have seen (Heyman).
Love your passion, too and a year ago I would not have necessarily joined you but I do now. This has been a real “team” that has just been fun to watch, even as the style of the entire game has deteriorated. If I were king for a day, Berlinger, Jansen, Hill, Puig, Turner, Kershaw, Buehler, Kiki, all stay at almost any cost. Last year I was screaming when we traded Charlie Culberson and friends thought I was crazy but now he is Charlie Clutch in Atlanta.
Go and package Verdugo wit Kemp, and if absolutely necessary Joc and/ or Muncie or Taylor to go get the catcher and a 1A pitcher behind Kershaw, forget about Harper (Manny is much better so re-sign him and shuffle Turner and Seager to second sometimes, or Turner at first if they want the huge contract). Then sign Andrew Miller if the price isn’t too high, take a flyer and try to get Tuliwitzski if you don’t want Manny as he won’t cost anything now.
George, I appreciate you. Thanks for the read and being on team #Untouchabelli
Trading Cody Bellinger will be as big of a mistake as when they traded Russel Martin.
Way worse!
I am with you.. but unfortunately you are talking about the Dodger’s front office.. which is wacky at best. Looks how they messed up the last two years..and you expect any better… he should be untouchable…but don’t bet on it!!!!
Ken, you took the words and my feelings about this FO right out of my mouth! What’s really scary for me is Roberts saying he wants to have Muncy play everyday perhaps at 2nd. He wants perhaps to have Bellinger play daily but in the OF, and THAT is where I fully disagree with him and Dodgers on.
Clint,
I can’t say it much better than Ryan did previously, and your response is as good as usual – the only blogger in Dodger Nation to take a stand against management.
Question one – does management really care what any one of us writes?
Question two – how did you leave Kershaw off your list of favorites?
Haha, I’m a small fish in a big pond; so I am not sure my voice is heard. But the power of DN is far reaching! I assure you my colleagues have no problem going against something the Dodgers do if they feel the need.
Articles say dodgers want to cut some salary, so trading Kemp and or puig makes sense. Trading Bellinger. Won’t save them much more than the league minum. Will be a great long term player power hitter great defence and maybe the fastest on our team. Trading him. Would be crazy. And don’t trade verdugo either. Our core is j.t. and our kids,Bellinger, seager, Buehler. ,of course Kershaw. We need a good right handed hitter, not a lefty like harper
Olney could have thrown Bellinger in there on speculation. I am not sure. But there is no doubt that Dodgers brass saw that tweet. Someone could have come out and said he’s not available, if they wanted to. That was the premise of my article.
Clint, it’s Paul here, and let me say this…I am with you 1,000%!!!!!!!!!!!!! If these idiots even THINK of dealing Bellinger, I will personally see to it that someone , anyone grabs Freidman AND Roberts and locks them both up in a padded cell for the rest of their lives!
Paul I appreciate you! We will stand on this hill! #UntouchaBelli!
He’s going to knock 35 over the fence and steal 30 in 2019.
Clint, as we speak, Bellinger is working on his mechanics in order to improve from his regression with LHP in 2018. and we cannot forget in 2017, when he hit very well against them with an MLB leading 12 HR’s against LHP as a LHB
Bellinger’s arm was the reason we even got a win in the World Series, kid is awesome and you’re right he shouldn’t be in trade talks and neither should Puig
Bellinger for life! Thank you for the read and the support of our cornerstone!
I am with you brotha! Cody B should be a Dodger for a longtime!
We love him long-time!
I am with you 100%. Seager and Bellinger are the foundation of the Dodgers for the next five years, maybe more. Hands off. And, never for Harper who is terribly overpriced.
Let’s talk 10-year contract with Cody Ballgame, Paul. What do ya say?
Count me in, Clint. Trading Bellinger is…..absurd, at best. And I do not want to see Puig leave to make room for (the overrated) Harper. Really????
Thanks Barbara! Someday we will look back when he’s a 5x All-Star and possible MVP; and we will say we always stood on team Bellinger.
In 2017 Bellinger actually hit higher in BA .271 with 12 HR’s and 42 RBI’s than his average was against RHP. And those 42 RBI’s were equal to how many times he struck out against LHP.. Point being is he will for sure be better against LHP in 2019 and he WILL NOT need to be platooned. But to be fair, the whole Dodger team appeared to regress against LHP in 2018, one reason why they went home this past October without a WS ring.
They will still platoon him. They shouldn’t, but they will; to a degree. He can hit lefties. Just needs to do it consistently. Part of the bumps of being a youngster, facing the best the world has to offer. He will adjust and find his way.
I’m with you!!!!! Stop the Bellinger rumor, he MUST remain a1 Dodger! The Front Office needs to stop this rumor crap now
They didn’t come out and rule it out publicly. It’s a little disappointing. I hope they see this somehow.
Thank you. I had the same reaction and have been panic-checking ESPN since that tweet in fear of reading Cody (he has attained first-name-only status with me) has been traded. Reading your response made me feel better, even if it has no impact on whether the Dodgers are in fact open to trading him.
For the record, and not totally on topic, I resent Muncy displacing Cody from first base. Watching him make outrageously athletic plays at first and save several outs a game was one of my favorite parts of watching Dodgers games.