Latest update shows Angels have golden opportunity to take charge of Cody Bellinger market

There is no doubt Cody Bellinger had a bounce-back season with the Chicago Cubs. His batting average was at .307 with Chicago, after a season batting just .210 for the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2022. Bellinger used the contract Chicago gave him last year, and turned his stock into a must-buy. However, is it just a one-off season? Should the Los Angeles Angels really pay over $200 million dollars for one good year?

Signing Cody Bellinger comes with a ton of risk and potential for very high reward

According to Jon Heyman in the New York post, Scott Boras and Cody Bellinger are expecting a $200 million+ deal this offseason. Teams are calling their bluff, however. Not just Bellinger, but Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, and Blake Snell represented by Scott Boras are still not signed as of the night of January 28th. Who will blink first?

Bob Nightengale is a great insider in Major League Baseball. I really doubt this is false information. Teams like the Angels, Cubs, and even the Houston Astros have been talked about in connection with Bellinger. He can play any outfield position, and first base at a gold glove caliber level. Right now, everyone thought Montgomery would resign with the Texas Rangers after their World Series Championship by now, no movement.

Nothing on Matt Chapman except the San Francisco Giants have been speculated as a spot and yes, the Angels. Chapman did turn down a qualifying offer, so anyone signing him would lose a draft pick. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner is still out there in Blake Snell.

The Angels must be cautious in how they deal with any of these stars, especially Cody Bellinger. It's a lot of risk, but a lot of reward in a Bellinger signing. Boras has done this for decades and has brought his players into free agency through half of Spring Training before.

If the Angels were to sign Bellinger, Jo Adell or Taylor Ward could be on the move. You'd have one of the best fielding outfield groups in the MLB with Mickey Moniak, Mike Trout, and Cody Bellinger. Nolan Schanuel looks to be the everyday first baseman.

It's like playing chicken with an oncoming train. Bellinger would be the star to help Mike Trout out as well, but if you weren't willing to go after Shohei Ohtani, why Cody Bellinger?

Your move, Scott!