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Blue Jays Rumor Roundup: 2 former MVPs, Japanese ace firmly on club's radar
By Eric Treuden
Cody Bellinger
Sticking with Heyman, the Blue Jays are also finalists in the Cody Bellinger sweepstakes. Each of the Jays and Cubs are apparently pursuing the 2019 MVP. Notably, both clubs were also aggressively pursuing Shohei Ohtani, so Bellinger is Option B.
Bellinger, 28, signed a one-year, "prove it" type of deal with the Cubs prior to last season. He was coming off of two consecutive seasons in which he was well below-average at the plate, so he aimed to rebuild some value on the Cubs.
In 130 games, he did exactly that. Bellinger hit 26 home runs with 97 RBI and a 133 OPS+. He hit over .300 for the first time since 2019 and won a Silver Slugger Award for the second time in his seven-year career. At season's end, he declined his 2024 team option, choosing to bet on himself and test free agency as a reborn man.
Just a few days ago, Bellinger's fiancée Chase Carter shared pictures on her Instagram profile from the city of Toronto. Naturally, that sent Blue Jays fans into a tizzy. There are rumors on X that Carter posted old images just to stir the pot, but it's also very possible that her and Bellinger were in Toronto meeting with the Jays.
Like Yelich, the fit on paper is absolutely there for Bellinger. He plays top-tier defense in the outfield and could play either center or left field in 2024 with Daulton Varsho playing the other position. This would essentially be the Kiermaier-Varsho tandem from last year with a ton more home run potential.