Braves test trade market for former MVP

Atlanta Braves General manager Alex Anthopolous is actively developing a plan for the July 30 trade deadline in Major League Baseball. With the All-Star break next week, now is the time for teams to step up and shake things up to improve their roster, and according to reports from The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, The Braves are looking for 2019 MVP Cody Bellinger.

“They (the Chicago Cubs) have also listened to teams like the Phillies, Braves and Mariners who are interested in Cody Bellinger. If they fail at the All-Star break, don’t be surprised if they decide to retool for 2025,” Bowden wrote.

Bellinger hasn’t hit the heights of his 2019 MVP season with the Dodgers. He had a 1.035 OPS in 2019 as a 23-year-old. He’s at .742 this year, and he’s only hit .800 once since his MVP season. His .881 with the Cubs last year was significantly higher than the .541 and .654 he had in 2021 and 2022 with the Dodgers.

It should be noted that the talks between Atlanta and Chicago have only been preliminary. However, discussions are still ongoing and the Cubs could end up being sellers, given their bottom-five record in the National League. So the question is: What would Anthopoulos’ club have to give up to acquire him, and is it worth it?

There could be a bit of a bidding war for Cody Bellinger’s services.

Despite a relatively quiet season, the soon-to-be 29-year-old (Saturday) still has plenty of career potential and talent in the tank, both with his bat and his glove.

He has been linked to several teams, including the Philadelphia Phillies, the rivals and leaders of the National League East. With many teams interested in his services, the Braves could have to pay one or two top prospects if the market gets hotter. Another possible deterrent is his important contract.

However, assessing his value has become a bit more complicated because, since Thursday, the former two-time Silver Slugger has been on the 10-day injured list after get hit by a pitch during Wednesday night’s game against the Orioles.

For the Braves, Bellinger would still be a solid addition regardless.

How Bellinger can help the Braves.

With manager Brian Snitker’s club seemingly having a revolving door in the outfield due to injuries, the former Los Angeles Dodger could shore up at least one of the positions outside of center fielder Jarred Kelenic. On the season, he posted a .269 average, .331 OBP, .410 SLG and .742 OPS. He’s also one of the league’s best outfielders and a Gold Glove winner.

A platoon featuring right-handed hitter Adam Duvall would also make sense.

Placing him in the middle or bottom of the Braves’ lineup could provide the spark the team needs. Considering that others former Dodgers After thriving upon his arrival in Atlanta, Bellinger could be the key to sparking a postseason run of the same nature.