Dodgers Rumors: Dodgers Showing Early Interest in Bellinger Reunion
After being non-tendered following the 2022 season, the Dodgers have expressed interest in a reunion as they seek OF help.
LOS ANGELES, CA—As the 2026 Major League Baseball season moves along, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the defending back-to-back World Series champions, are actively looking for an upgrade in the outfield.
While multiple insiders have linked the team to a number of free agents or possible trade block candidates, such as Steven Kwan of the Cleveland Guardians or top outfield free agent Kyle Tucker, they could also go for a familiar face in former 2019 National League Most Valuable Player Award winner Cody Bellinger.
According to Jeff Passan of ESPN, that appears to be the case: with the Dodgers seeking an outfield upgrade, they’ve shown early interest in a possible reunion with Bellinger.
Beyond the Yankees, who would like a return engagement with Bellinger — particularly if Trent Grisham rejects a qualifying offer — the Blue Jays see him as a perfectly good alternative to Tucker. And the Dodgers, who nontendered Bellinger three years ago, have expressed interest as they peruse the outfield market.
Bellinger, 30, is entering free agency for the third time in his career. He was non-tendered by the Dodgers after the 2022 season and is now testing the market again following a strong year stint with the Chicago Cubs and New York Yankees over the last three seasons.
In his first year outside the Dodgers organization, the Cubs gambled on Bellinger, who achieved a 135 wRC+, his best mark since his MVP season (161). He also hit 26 home runs and maintained a batting average above .300 for the season.
Still, when Bellinger tested the free agent market, not much was there with the left-handed hitter settling for a short three-year deal with multiple opt-outs.
After taking a step backwards in 2024, with his wRC+ falling to 108, the Cubs shipped Bellinger to the Yankees, where he’d put together his best overall season since 2019.
In his lone year in the Bronx, Bellinger slashed .272/.334/.480 with a 125 wRC+ along with 29 home runs and a combined 4.9 fWAR, helping the Yankees secure a second consecutive postseason berth before ultimately falling to the eventual American League Champion Toronto Blue Jays in the ALDS.
The Dodgers’ need for an outfielder, particularly a center fielder, is atop the to-do list for Andrew Friedman and Co., as confirmed by Dodgers General Manager Brandon Gomes at the recent General Manager Meetings in Las Vegas.
The one-year deal to veteran Michael Conforto was a dud, with the left-handed bat being one of the worst hitters in baseball and not making the postseason roster during the World Series run.
Fan-favorite Teoscar Hernández regressed offensively, and his defense was much to be desired out there in an everyday right fielder role.
While second-year pro Andy Pages posted career-best numbers last season, the team could move him between center and right field, where he came up through the Dodgers’ minor league system.
And with the offseason ankle surgery for Tommy Edman, it’s unclear whether he’ll be able to play the outfield next season as he recovers from it.
Bellinger, who Scott Boras represents, is hoping to get a final massive payday after not being able to cash in his previous two times on the free agent market, and multiple outlets have the two-time All-Star fetching a seven-plus-year deal in free agency.
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