Insider Will Be "Surprised" If Nimmo or Bellinger Don't End Up With AL East Team

As teams around the majors jockey for position around the available free agents, one MLB Insider says thinks that one team in particular will end up with a prime center fielder like Brandon Nimmo or Cody Bellinger. And that's the Toronto Blue Jays. 

"I will be somewhat surprised if the Blue Jays do not sign either Bellinger or Brandon Nimmo." - Morosi https://t.co/RLe0E7gQyc

— Brandon Wile (@Brandon_N_Wile) November 21, 2022

"I will be somewhat surprised if the Blue Jays do not sign either Bellinger or Brandon Nimmo," said Jon Morosi on MLB Network. "There is such a strong need for this team to get an athletic, left-handed hitting center fielder."

Making the need even more urgent for the Blue Jays is the fact that they traded their starting right-fielder Teoscar Hernandez last week to Seattle. 

The implications of bringing in a center fielder for Toronto are numerous: They can shift George Springer to right field to reduce some of the wear and tear on his body (he's missed a lot of time with nagging injuries in the past two years), they have been searching for a left-handed hitter for ages, and obviously they need to fill the hole created by the trade of Hernandez as well as the release of Raimel Tapia. 

As for Bellinger, coming off two horrendous years at the plate, Morosi notes that his agent Scott Boras says he only wants a one-year deal, in order to try to build up his market value for a bigger splash in next year's free agency. Which also makes Toronto a good landing spot:

"There are few venues," says Morosi, "both because of the quality of the lineup and the hitter-friendly nature of the ballpark that are more conducive to that approach than the Toronto Blue Jays and Rogers Centre."

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