Former MLB Exec of the Year Raises Major Red Flag in Blue Jays’ Cody Bellinger Pursuit

When speaking on the Foul Territory podcast, Jim Bowden made it clear why the Toronto Blue Jays have not been aggressive in pursuing Cody Bellinger. 

Bowden, a former MLB executive and general manager of the year, laid out why Toronto has not pursued Bellinger with the same urgency it showed in the Kyle Tucker talks. 

He repeatedly returned to one core concern: 

“It’s the risk with how he’s gonna age with the swing,” Bowden said. 

He added, “It’s the risk we saw him fail in Chicago.” 

“A year ago, the Cubs had to eat part of the contract in order to trade him to the Yankees. A few years ago we saw him struggle with the Dodgers and they moved on from him.” 

From Bowden’s perspective, this is exactly how presidents and general managers are wired to think when long-term money is involved.  

They look at history and are saying what’s the risk,” Bowden explained. “If we were to sign him long term, what’s the risk?” 

That question, more than upside or recent production, helps explain why the Blue Jays have been far more cautious in the Bellinger market than some of their competitors. 

Why the Blue Jays Aren’t All-In on Cody Bellinger 

The “Cody Bellinger sweepstakes” has been one of the defining storylines of the offseason, with the Yankees, Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, Giants, and Blue Jays all linked at various points. 

After a strong 2025 season in New York, Bellinger entered free agency seeking a long-term and high-value deal.

Projections for Bellinger’s deal have been hovering around seven years and $155-175 million. 

Reports of aggressive Yankees interest have only raised the stakes. 

Yet Bowden made it clear why Toronto’s approach differs from how it pursued Kyle Tucker. 

“I would have been fine giving Kyle Tucker 10 years, $350 million like the Blue Jays offered,” Bowden said. 

“I feel like Bellinger is not that player for me.”  

That distinction matters.  

Tucker’s consistency is the difference maker between the two. 

Bellinger carries volatility that makes a seven-to-nine-year deal uncomfortable. 

For the Blue Jays, Bowden framed that caution as not being cheap or passive.

It’s about avoiding a contract that could age poorly if Bellinger’s swing issues and inconsistencies resurface. 

Bowden emphasized that even strong recent seasons don’t erase his entire past. 

Bellinger’s Track Record Gives Front Offices Concern

Bowden also made sure to acknowledge what makes Bellinger attractive. 

“I love him defensively,” he said.

“He can play all three outfield positions and first base. I love the power. I love his MVP season with the Dodgers, last season with the Yankees, and one season with the Cubs.”  

Bowden framed the problem of everything in between. 

Bellinger’s career arc has swung dramatically from MVP heights to prolonged struggles that forced both the Dodgers and Cubs to move off of him. 

During his 2019 MVP season with the Dodgers, Bellinger hit .305 with a .406 on-base percentage and a .629 slugging percentage. 

He also had 47 home runs with a 1.035 OPS and 9.0 WAR. 

In 2023 with the Cubs, he hit .307 with 26 home runs and then again last year with the Yankees he hit .272 with 29 home runs. 

“But where was the rest?” Bowden asked. 

In 2021, Bellinger hit just .165 with a .240 OBP and .302 slugging percentage, finishing with a .542 OPS and negative WAR. 

Even in 2022, his production remained well below star level with a .210 average and .654 OPS.

That inconsistency is exactly what shows up when front offices look at making long term deals. 

“I don’t want to get stuck on a seven, eight, nine-year deal on a player where I don’t think I can count on him for most of those years,” Bowden said.  

That line captures why Toronto hasn’t matched the aggression of other suitors so far. 

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