Did Andrew Friedman just hint the Dodgers are hoping to land Cody Bellinger?

Cody Bellinger's free agency process has been characterized by patience. New York Yankees fans eager to see Belli return to the Bronx have had to exercise patience as they await his free-agent fate. Bellinger's agent, Scott Boras, is reportedly leaning into the patience, as buzz from the Winter Meetings suggests Boras would prefer to proceed with Cody's sweepstakes once Kyle Tucker has signed somewhere.

This is why when Los Angeles Dodgers PBO Andrew Friedman said this past week that he "may have to be a little patient" in pursuing LA's next position player target, people immediately thought of Bellinger.

Andrew Friedman may have just teased a Cody Bellinger-Dodgers reunion

Adding credence to the Belli theory, Friedman also said that the Dodgers are looking to add a position player "who is really good on both sides of the ball." That would be Bellinger for you.

But hold on, there are some other names that could fit such a description, and they've been likewise linked to Friedman and the Dodgers this offseason. St. Louis Cardinals infielder Brendan Donovan is one of them. Donovan can play virtually anywhere defensively. He won a Glove Glove in 2022, and his bat has recently started to catch up in quality, hence his All-Star season in 2025. Then again, reports surfaced on Saturday night suggesting the Giants and Mariners were the frontrunners there.

It's a well-rounded outfielder that LA more likely seeks, though, which is what's had the Dodgers connected in reports to guys like Steven Kwan, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, and yes, Bellinger in recent months.

Friedman was keen to mention that the Dodgers aren't rigid positionally in the outfield right now; that there are moving parts to work with. This would indicate that a defensive chameleon like Bellinger would be the perfect guy to add to LA at present. He'd be able to play all three outfield positions whenever needed, as well as first base, just as he did in the Bronx in 2025.

Some have speculated that Bellinger wouldn't be over the moon about returning to the club that more or less gave up on him back in 2022. On the other hand, a ton of money and the chance to glide to a championship can make any past drama morph into water under a bridge. Just ask Edwin Díaz, who's already acting like a lifelong Dodger without any New York Mets experience on his resumé.

Speaking of the Mets, they've also been connected to Bellinger of late. Could we see a bidding war of sorts between the two New York powers and the back-to-back champs for Bellinger? The Mets and Yankees have seemed hesitant to spend big this offseason, but we know the Dodgers are pretty much never in that boat.

Nonetheless, just about everybody has left the door open for the two sides to come full circle, so it can't be ruled out until Bellinger officially makes a decision.