Bats are scarce this year on the free agent market. Aside from Shohei Ohtani and Cody Bellinger, there aren't exactly a lot of options to choose from, which makes things difficult for teams looking for offensive help.
Bellinger enjoyed a solid bounce-back campaign with the Chicago Cubs and could potentially find his way back to the North Side of Chicago. Jon Heyman of MLB Network says he would be "shocked" if Bellinger doesn't sign with the Cubs, New York Yankees, or San Francisco Giants.
In this piece, we will rank the free agent slugger's offseason options from worst to best.
Worst fit for Cody Bellinger: Chicago Cubs
Bellinger's resurgence helped the Cubs climb back into postseason contention after back-to-back sub .500 seasons. But the Cubs may ultimately end up moving on from him.
Recently, Jesse Rogers of ESPN reported that he thinks it's more likely the Cubs add players via trade than in free agency. This does not make the Cubs a bad option for Bellinger necessarily, but it could complicate things if he wants to return to the North Siders.
The Cubs do have some talented young hitters who are emerging as well such as Matt Mervis and Pete-Crow Armstrong. The Cubs may decide that it's time to clear the way for those two sluggers to make their impact and lead the team into the future.
The Cubs have also been linked to New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso. If the Cubs swing a deal for the Mets slugger, then the door for a reunion with the former National League MVP and Rookie of the Year will likely be shut.
Again, the Cubs are not the worst fit for him because they're a bad fit, but rather that their motives and offseason strategy may not allow for a Bellinger return in the end.
Second-best fit for Cody Bellinger: San Francisco Giants
Bellinger will certainly be expensive this offseason. But the Giants came very close to signing both Aaron Judge and Carlos Correa last offseason, and nearly signed them to record contracts.
Though it didn't work out in the end, the Giants proved that they are now more than willing to spend significant money in order to build a contending roster. The Giants have a few moving parts in the outfield, and Bellinger might help solidify that spot for them.
San Francisco has a ton left-handed bats, but adding Bellinger would give them a much better chance to contend for an NL West title. It would also be a good way for the Giants to stick it to their hated rivals in the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger's former team.
The Giants finished in fourth place in the NL West, with the Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, and San Diego Padres standing in the way. An outfield featuring Bellinger, Michael Conforto, and Mitch Haniger would be a very dangerous combination for teams in the NL West to deal with, and it might project as one of the best outfields in all of baseball.
The Giants haven't reached the postseason since 2021.
Best fit for Cody Bellinger: New York Yankees
The Yankees found themselves in uncharted territory this season, as they finished 82-80 and missed the postseason, which was good for fourth place in the American League East.
One key problem the Bronx Bombers are facing is the fact that they have an influx of right-handed bats. In the outfield, their only left-handed hitter is Jake Bauers. Anthony Rizzo is the only lefty bat in their everyday lineup.
Adding Bellinger could help the Yankees balance out their lineup a little bit. An important thing to keep in mind as well as that Yankee Stadium has an incredibly short right field porch, which plays right into Bellinger's favor as a left-handed hitter.
This could allow for Bellinger to show off his power to the right side. New York needs more lefty bats for that reason. The short porch benefitted Matt Carpenter in 2022 when the Yankees picked him up.
It would certainly benefit Bellinger, who is looking to build off of his bounce-back 2023 campaign with the Cubs.
Facing a lineup featuring Bellinger, Rizzo, and Aaron Judge would be a tough task for the Yankees division rivals and the rest of the American League.
