Phillies predicted to sign former Yankees, Dodgers star outfielder originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Dave Dombrowski, the president of baseball operations for the Philadelphia Phillies, typically finds a way to do what's needed during the offseason to ensure his team has an opportunity to win a World Series.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementDombrowski made a few decent moves at the trade deadline a year ago, but his bread and butter over much of his time in Major League Baseball as an executive has come in the offseason.
The Phillies have some needs on the mound and in the outfield once again, with the outfield being the biggest priority.
There will be a few players for them to pursue, and Will Laws of Sports Illustrated believes they’ll land one of them, predicting they'll sign Cody Bellinger.
“After being traded to New York in what was essentially a salary dump for the Cubs, Bellinger swatted 29 home runs—his most since hitting 47 in his MVP campaign in 2019—to go along with a career-best 13.7% strikeout rate. Add in plus outfield defense in the corners and capable coverage in center field, and the decision to opt out of his contract was an easy one. Bellinger is clearly one of the premier bats available this winter—not too bad for a guy who was non-tendered by the Dodgers just three years ago,” he wrote.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementBellinger can offer the Phillies some flexibility as well at first base, depending on what Bryce Harper wants to do at the position long term.
He's a better outfielder, and that's where a lot of his value comes from, so it's probably a wiser idea to have him somewhere in the outfield moving forward.
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