Dodgers: 3 players who still haven’t earned a spot on 2022 roster

1. Cody Bellinger

What’s Cody Bellinger listening to here? The sound of settling for an 0-2 changeup in the dirt?

Bellinger’s booming double to extend the Dodgers’ lead in Game 2 of the NLDS was a wonderful moment, but it didn’t lead to a thundering return to superstar status for the former NL MVP. By any metric, he was awful in 2021, batting .165 with a 45 OPS+ and just 10 homers in 315 at-bats.

As of now, though … that’s just one season of subpar baseball. A Bellinger trade wouldn’t be selling high or at the proper price, but … there’s always the chance his value could sink lower with a 2022 repeat of the same disaster. At the moment, interested contenders wouldn’t have to crane their necks to envision a bounce-back to 2019 levels. If the Dodgers hold onto their damaged asset and he backslides further next season? Then it becomes difficult to justify shouldering his escalating arbitration costs (Bellinger will be a free agent after the 2023 season).

Perhaps we see a damaged goods swap this offseason with the Yankees or Mets, teams that love taking chances on massive names? Maybe Bellinger becomes the key piece in a young arms deal with, say, the Miami Marlins? His future in Los Angeles is hardly assured, something that would’ve seemed ridiculous to assess a year ago.

The Dodgers won’t rid themselves of all of these outfield options, but they also likely won’t keep all three somewhat-flawed players, especially if Lux continues to prove he just might stick in center.

Dodgers: 3 difficult contract decisions LAD will have to make this offseason

The Los Angeles Dodgers want to extend Max Scherzer, right? Well...who else? They have some serious contract decisions to make this offseason.