By Patrick McAvoyShareNewsweek is a Trust Project memberThe Los Angeles Dodgers clearly don't have many holes on the roster, but there is room for growth for the two-time reigning World Series champions.
If the Dodgers enter the 2026 season as is, they have enough firepower to potentially be the top team in baseball again. But that's not Los Angeles' style. The Dodgers are the most aggressive team in baseball and the two areas of the organization that realistically could use a boost are the bullpen and potentially an outfielder.
Los Angeles has been floated as a fit for top free agent Kyle Tucker over the last few weeks plenty of times, but MLB.com's Will Leitch pitched a different option: Cody Bellinger.
..."Hey, who’s up for yet another former MVP in the Dodgers lineup? Unlike all the other MVPs on the Dodgers roster next year, Bellinger actually won his first MVP with the Dodgers, back in 2019," Leitch wrote. "Bellinger has gone through a lot of permutations since then, from his extreme post-2020 struggles with the Dodgers (leading to him being non-tendered) to a two-year rebound with the Cubs before being traded to the (New York Yankees) last year."
Bringing Bellinger back to town would be a good story. He was a homegrown star for Los Angeles. He was selected in the fourth round of the 2013 Major League Baseball Draft and spent the first six seasons of his big league career with the Dodgers. Bellinger was the 2017 National League Rookie of the Year, 2019 National League Most Valuable Player, earned two All-Star nods, and won a World Series with the organization.
The Dodgers non-tendered Bellinger after the 2022 season. The 2021 and 2022 seasons were a struggle for Bellinger, and he dealt with injuries. He's been healthy over the last three seasons and has looked like a star again. Bellinger launched 29 homers and drove in 98 runs in 2025 with the New York Yankees. Getting that type of production would be a boost for the Dodgers and would be a nice homecoming for a former fan-favorite.
More MLB: Dodgers Non-Tender Former Closer, Who Becomes a Free Agent
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