The Los Angeles Dodgers and former MVP Cody Bellinger agreed to a one-year, $17 million deal before the lockout, ESPN reported Thursday.
ESPN said the two sides reached the deal to avoid arbitration, but it wasn’t announced before the Dec. 1 work stoppage and wasn’t afterward because teams are not referencing players by name.
Bellinger, 26, spent multiple stints on the injured list in 2021 and posted career-low numbers with a .165 average and 10 home runs in 95 games. The outfielder/first baseman bounced back in the postseason, hitting .353 with one homer and seven RBIs in 12 games.
A two-time All-Star, Bellinger was the National League Rookie of the Year in 2017, the Most Valuable Player in 2019 and a World Series champion in 2020. He owns a lifetime .257 average with 133 homers, 354 RBIs and 48 stolen bases in 601 games with the Dodgers.
He won a Gold Glove in right field in 2019 and primarily played in center field last season.
Bellinger’s deal is not guaranteed until he makes the Dodgers’ opening day roster. He is not eligible for free agency until after the 2023 season.
–Field Level Media