Cody Bellinger
If the Giants are unable to land Aaron Judge, signing Cody Bellinger to a one-year rebound deal may be an option that could pay dividends for San Francisco on a number of levels.
San Francisco has already been linked to the Giants by MLB insider Jon Heyman and others, and a contract could make sense as the franchise is familiar with Bellinger from his days with the Dodgers and could use a bat like the former National League Rookie of the Year and MVP was swinging at the height of his career in 2019.
However, that’s the trick. Bellinger was non-tendered by the Dodgers for a reason, and it’s because of two very subpar seasons after Los Angeles won the World Series in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. Would the Giants be willing to take a chance on Bellinger as a big Plan B should the pursuit of Judge fall through? Could the Giants add Bellinger in at center field even with Judge on board, giving San Francisco an outfield consisting of Joe Pederson, Bellinger, and Judge?
Those are big questions to ask, but a Bellinger-Giants one-year deal could make sense. And if Bellinger were to rediscover his swing in a San Francisco uniform, it would provide plenty of chatter up and down the California coast after the arch-rival Dodgers jettisoned him.
Bellinger was projected by MLBTradeRumors.com to make $18.1 million in arbitration this season with the Dodgers, so a one-year deal for his services could very well fit into the budget for the San Francisco Giants.