Despite what was a very underwhelming 2021 season, Cody Bellinger has avoided arbitration with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a pretty steep price.
According to Jeff Passan and Kiley McDaniel of ESPN, Bellinger and the Dodgers avoided arbitration before MLB's lockout began by agreeing to a one-year/$17 million deal for the 2022 season.
At the outset of the offseason, Matt Swartz of MLB Trade Rumors projected that Bellinger would get $16.1 million in his third year of arbitration eligibility.
Two years after winning the National League MVP Award, Bellinger slashed just .165/.240/.302 with a -0.8 fWAR in 2021. That came after he hit just .239 during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.
But any thought of the Dodgers non-tendering or trading Bellinger this winter was squashed after he hit .353 with seven RBIs in 34 postseason at-bats.
It's hard not to still be tantalized by Bellinger's 2019 NL MVP season, where he slashed .305/.406/.629 with 47 home runs, 115 RBIs, 95 walks, a 1.035 OPS and a 7.7 fWAR. Bellinger also won a Gold Glove Award in right field during the 2019 season, and has continued to provide tremendous defensive versatility, as he can also play first base and center field.
For as long as it feels like Bellinger has been around, he's still only 26 years old. He has two remaining seasons before free agency, giving him ample time to rebuild his value. With the loss of Corey Seager in free agency, the Dodgers will be counting on a bounce-back from Bellinger as they attempt to edge out the San Francisco Giants and San Diego Padres in the National League West.
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