Three years in the past, new Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger was on high of the baseball world.
With the 2017 Nationwide League Rookie of the Yr Award and the 2019 NL Most Invaluable Participant beneath his belt by age 23, he seemed like he was simply getting began in a possible Corridor of Fame profession, slashing .278/.369/.559 with 111 dwelling runs and 288 RBI in his first three seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
However baseball is a merciless, unforgiving sport that may activate you within the blink of an eye fixed.
Over the subsequent three seasons, Bellinger struggled massively on the plate whereas battling accidents. He by no means seemed comfy, and it finally ended with the Dodgers slicing ties with him this offseason.
Through the 2020-2022 seasons in Dodgers blue, the previous MVP slashed .203/.272/.376 with a meager 41 dwelling runs and 134 RBI — removed from his manufacturing within the first three seasons.
In December 2022, the Cubs, like many different groups, noticed the potential left in Bellinger. They signed him to a one-year deal price $17.5M assured with a mutual possibility for 2024.
The transfer is low-risk with the Cubs capable of finish the deal after this season if it does not work out.
With a earlier historical past working with Bellinger within the Dodgers minor league system, Cubs hitting coach Dustin Kelly advised MLB.com’s Jordan Bastian that “Cody and I’ve spoken the identical language since day one.”
“He is been capable of speak his manner via his swing,” Kelly added. “He understands his physique rather well and has put numerous work into it. And I believe a few of the issues he went via the final couple of years have helped with that.”
