Tim Hyers, from up close, has seen Cody Bellinger at his best. And, from a distance, he's watched as Bellinger has struggled the past three seasons.
And Hyers believes there's no doubt Bellinger can again be the kind of player he once was.
"I think so -- I really do,'' Hyers told BostonSportsJournal.com. "He's been there. He's put up those numbers. I think he can bounce back. It's just about getting healthy and unlocking a few things that are in his way. But I feel he can (bounce back). He has the resume. It's in there. He's not that old. I think he can absolutely do it. The risk and the chances of that happening, that's something I'd have to dig deeper on.
"But I think he could.''
Bellinger was non-tendered by the Los Angeles Dodgers last week, who balked at his projected $18 million salary through arbitration, making him a free agent. A number of teams have reached out to Bellinger, including some, according to agent Scott Boras, willing to offer a multi-year deal. Boras told The Athletic that his preference would be for Bellinger to take a one-year deal, rebuild his value and re-enter the market again next winter.
The Red Sox are in need of outfield help and it would make some sense if they had some interest in the former NL MVP. Bellinger is a plus-plus outfielder, and while he's mostly played center, could certainly make the transition to right field for the Sox. He's also a good first baseman and could serve as a backup there to Triston Casas.
After averaging 37 homers and 96 RBI and a 928 OPS in his first three seasons with the Dodgers, Bellinger has flatlined offensively. From 2020-2022, he has averaged just under 14 homers and 45 RBI with a .648 OPS. His walks are down, his strikeouts are up and he barely resembled the player he was in his first three seasons.
"It's been,'' concedes Hyers of Bellinger's downturn, "shocking to me.''
In fairness, his 2022 season was his best since 2019. He hit 19 homers and his .654 OPS, while far from impressive, was at least an improvement over his disastrous 2021 (.542 OPS).
Hyers, who served as the assistant hitting coach for the Dodgers from 2016-2017 before joining the Red Sox for four years, worked with Bellinger in 2017, when Bellinger was named NL Rookie of the Year.
"I just know the years I was with him, and then seeing him again (in the 2018 World Series), obviously, he was a special talent,'' said Hyers, now with the Texas Rangers, "You could see he was going to have success.''
Even then, Hyers saw Bellinger could have difficulty with the high fastball. That weakness has since been exploited, and coupled with a shoulder injury that required surgery after the 2020 season, resulted in reduced effectiveness at the plate.
"The league adjusts to you,'' said Hyers. "That kind of pitch design gave him some trouble. And just knowing hitters, it just spirals out of control and it creates more bad habits than it should have, Smaller injuries than the one he had can create problems for hitters. A hitter with that explosiveness and having an injury like that, I can see that being part of his issues.''
Some of Bellinger's struggles, Hyers concedes, could be more mental and though the Dodgers have expressed an interest in retaining him at a lower salary, he might benefit more from a change of scenery.
"I think it happens with all athletes,'' said Hyers. "That doubt sets in and you go up there, and you've been working on things and it doesn't (translate) in the games. The doubt starts to settle and the mental affects the physical and that spiral starts. Who knows? New scenery, new environment, new fan base, new everything can untangle a lot of that. The last year or so, he goes to the field and hasn't been that same player and all of sudden, the negative energy and the 'here-we-go-again' starts to be a factor.
"It's going to be interesting to watch because he can be dynamic. He's done it before. Maybe a new fan base, new teammates surrounding him, can change things and unlock something.''
Included in the list of teams with some interest in Bellinger are two rivals from the AL East -- the Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays, in particular, have made landing a lefthanded-hitting outfielder, to balance their lineup, a priority this winter.