Could the clash of two dry offseasons bring about a rain of relief for their respective fanbases? Despite starting strong the Philadelphia Phillies’ offseason has gone off the rails. On the other hand, Cody Bellinger has seen dwindling interest in his free agency. With reports pitting both of them together, could this be a cause of worry for the competitors?
While the Chicago Cubs have remained favorites to sign Bellinger, recently the Phils were called “sleeper” to sign Cody Love by the famous insider Bob Nightengale. Could the City of Brotherly Love be looking to pull the heist of the century?
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Why Cody Bellinger and the Phillies could make sense?
It was surprising when Bob Nightengale called the Phillies a “sleeper” for Bellinger. Until then, there was no link between the Red Pinstripes and the former MVP. Ever since the NLCS loss, even the most ardent Phillie Phanatics had accepted that pitching was their Achilles heel. While the team did re-sign Aaron Nola, they’ve not made any other big addition since then. So it’s a little surprising that the next big name linked with them is a position player. But then again there is a way it could be reasonable.
Remember the NLCS? It wasn’t just pitchers who had a terrible time, the hitters were equally ineffective. In fact, the sudden switching off by the sluggers was what ultimately led to the Phillies missing a chance to play consecutive Fall Classics. As Fansided reported, “adding Bellinger would certainly increase their odds to compete and beat the likes of the Atlanta Braves and Dodgers in 2024.”
The Phillies have been awfully quiet ever since signing Aaron Nola. During this time, the Dodgers have created a super team and the Atlanta Braves have fine-tuned their roster. Nearly the entire competition has improved itself one way or the other but the Phillies stand where they did at the end of their NLCS loss. So adding a player like Bellinger, who can play in multiple positions and has rediscovered his hitting form could be that one arrow that hits multiple targets.
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But then, every coin has another side and this one isn’t any different. Things could be different from what they look.
Is this a strategy by Scott Boras?
The timing of this link raised a few eyebrows. Probably because this isn’t the first time something like this has happened with a Scott Boras client. Raising competition and showing that another team is interested will inevitably benefit the valuation of Bellinger. While the Phillies might be interested, could Boras have thrown his final Hail Mary here?
Especially as reports have indicated that the interest of the Phillies depends on a reduction in Bellinger’s price. With the Cubs wanting the same, could a price reduction create competition? With both teams quite equal in their spending power, this could be a genuine battle. Somewhere the super agent is smiling thinking about it.
Written by
Edited by
Anuj Jacob