Prior to the MLB lockout beginning, the Los Angeles Dodgers tendered contracts to Cody Bellinger, Caleb Ferguson, Trea Turner and Julio Urias. It prevented them from becoming free agents and guaranteed they would remain under contract at least through the 2022 season.
For Bellinger, it represented a third time being eligible for salary arbitration. He’d previously avoided arbitration with L.A. by agreeing to consecutive one-year contracts.
Bellinger’s first time going through the process resulted in receiving an $11.5 million contract for 2020, which broke Kris Bryant’s record of $10.85 million salary as a first-year arbitration-eligible player.
This past season Bellinger earned $16.1 million and avoided arbitration. Now for the 2022 season, Bellinger and the Dodgers agreed to a contract worth $17 million, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan Kiley McDaniel:
Slugger Cody Bellinger and the Los Angeles Dodgers agreed on a one-year, $17 million to avoid arbitration before the Dec. 1 lockout that has shut down Major League Baseball and frozen transactions, sources familiar with the agreement told ESPN.
While Bellinger avoiding arbitration was first reported Thursday, his contract agreement was in place prior to the lockout taking effect. Bellinger was projected by MLB Trade Rumors to receive the same salary in 2022 that he did this year.
The 26-year-old is coming off the worst statistical season of his career after hitting just .165/.240/.302 with nine doubles, 10 home runs and 36 RBI in 95 games. He did manage to right the ship in October, emerging as one of the Dodgers’ better hitters in the postseason.
L.A. and Bellinger may soon find themselves back at the bargaining table as he now is eligible for a fourth and final year of salary arbitration after the 2022 campaign by way of previously being a Super Two player.
Bellinger optimistic for 2022 Spring Training
Prior to the Dodgers’ season coming to an end in the National League Championship Series, Cody Bellinger voiced optimism with his continued recovery from shoulder surgery and was confident he would be back to full health — and strength — by the start of 2022 Spring Training.
Bellinger struggled throughout this past season but had what Turner called one of the greatest turnarounds for the playoffs.
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