The Blue Jays just clinched Kevin Kiermaier this Tuesday. Per market reports, the slugger got in on an offer of $10.5 million for a year. After witnessing him dominate the Rays’ defense for almost a decade, the Jays’ choice of going after him after previously missing out makes sense. However, it also might mark a certain decline in interest in their Cody Bellinger persuasion, giving way for other teams to swoop in.
The LA Angels, in particular, could heavily benefit from Bellinger’s free agency availability loosening up. The Halos just lost their in-house superstar, Shohei Ohtani, to the NL rival Dodgers team. With enough resources in hand and a rotation still waiting on a vital change, it is more than likely for the team to go after the best available free-agent sluggers in the market. Cue Bellinger.
Cody Bellinger might not be the best fit for the Blue Jays anymore, giving way to the Angels
Halo Hangout believes that this gives the Angels the perfect opportunity to sign Cody Bellinger. The Halos have around $70 million in hand before hitting the luxury tax threshold. Bellinger’s asking price of $300 million for 8 to 10 years will not be burdensome on the team when it comes to the affordability factor.
Bellinger was deemed a good, albeit not perfect, fit for the Blue Jays’ offense requirement and a vacant outfield post. Now, after locking in Kiermaier, the Blue Jays have a trio of him along with George Springer and Daulton Versho to handle their rotation for 2024, according to insider Ben Nicholson-Smith. This makes the possibility of going in for Cody Bellinger less than likely for Team Toronto.
The Halos might not be able to make use of Bellinger’s centerfield supremacy due to Mike Trout already dominating that sector when he’s healthy. They can, however, use his outstanding hitting technique in their outfield should they decide to trade in a pitcher in lieu of one of the available average outfield options like Jo Adell or Taylor Ward.
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The Angels could also use Cody Bellinger to fill in their power-hitting requirements, putting him in the middle of the rotation. While the slugger may not be able to fill the heavy weight of Ohtani’s hitting shoes, he certainly is the next best option to Shotime.
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It remains to be seen whether the Angels make use of the Blue Jays’ recent draft as an opportunity or not.
The post Could the LA Angels Enter Cody Bellinger’s Sweepstakes After Blue Jays’ Kevin Kiermaier Signing? appeared first on EssentiallySports.
