LOS ANGELES — The Dodgers had until 5 p.m. Friday to decide whether to tender Cody Bellinger, the 2019 National League MVP, a contract for the 2023 season.
It shouldn't have been much of a decision. Bellinger won that MVP award, solidifying his standing as a superstar, three years ago this week. He's 27 years old. This is the physical prime of his career. Choosing to keep him should've been a formality.
But Bellinger has strayed so far from that peak over the last three seasons that the Dodgers weren't sure if he was worth paying what he was expected to earn through arbitration in 2023.
