Dodgers reunion with former MVP ‘could be in the cards’

The Los Angeles Dodgers have an embarrassment of riches in the batting order.

In Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts and Freddie Freeman, they have three former Most Valuable Player award-winners leading their offense, making them the first team in Major League Baseball history to trot out such a trio on an everyday basis.

And there might be a chance to add yet another MVP winner to the lineup, as former Dodger Cody Bellinger considers opting out of his Chicago Cubs contract and exploring free agent options.

“There could very well be a world in which Bellinger and the Dodgers reunite,” Katrina Stebbins wrote for FanSided’s Dodgers Way, adding that such a reunion “could be in the cards.” “The Dodgers might need an outfielder next season if they don’t re-sign Teoscar Hernández. Tommy Edman has mostly been playing center field since he made his Dodgers debut and Mookie Betts has moved back to right field, but Edman could shift to become their full-time shortstop next year, which would allow them to reinstall Bellinger back in center as well as re-sign Hernández.”

A reunion could make sense from a defensive standpoint. And, after slashing .266/.326/.429 with 18 homers this season, Bellinger seems capable of contributing to the star-studded batting order in Los Angeles. But the cost of reuniting with the former MVP might be prohibitive, particularly for a team that’s already on the hook for an MLB-leading $230 million in 2025.

Bellinger can earn nearly $30 million by returning to the Cubs next season. He’d likely seek to match that or earn a longer-term deal from a different team for next season and beyond.

Still, the Dodgers have shown that they are not afraid to whip out the checkbook if they feel a star player can contribute to the wins column. If the team finds a way to add yet another former MVP to their roster, the fans would surely be open to it, no matter the cost.

“If Bellinger does opt out, then the Dodgers should at least give (agent Scott) Boras a call,” Stebbins added. “There’s no question he’d be welcomed back to L.A. with open arms.”

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