The Chicago Cubs are listed as the ‘most likely’ move for free agent Cody Bellinger per an analyst
The Chicago Cubs biggest move thus far in the offseason has been adding Craig Counsell as manager to replace David Ross and steal from their division rival in Milwaukee. With a new manager in charge, fans were excited for a potentially big offseason.
But as we sit here on January 2nd and the calendar flipped to 2024, the Cubs haven’t made any big splashes and have instead watched other teams land big players. The good news for the Cubs is that there are still some targets left out there, most notably Cody Bellinger.
The utility man spent one year with the Cubs, playing for the franchise in 2023. As he sits in free agency, Cody Bellinger’s price tag appears to be very high and his agent Scott Boras hasn’t been shy about that either. With Bellinger still left unsigned, it feels like a reunion is the best option for both sides and MLB insider Jon Morosi believes that’s the case.
Here is what Morosi said on Tuesday about the Cody Bellinger situation:
“To me that’s the next logical move. Bellinger, all the options that exist for him right now, you could argue that Bellinger to the Blue Jays still makes some sense. I tend to think that Bellinger back to Chicago makes the most sense of all,” Morosi said. “If you’re a Cubs fan and were hoping for the offseason to move a certain way, where the Giants got Lee, the Yankees got Soto, the Jays brought back Kiermaier, all of these data points would suggest that Bellinger back to the Cubs have a lot of legs. I believe in the early days of 2024, I believe that is still the most likely destination for Cody Bellinger.”
Cody Bellinger decision has big impact
If you watched the Cubs last season, it was no secret that Bellinger had a big impact on the lineup offensively. He slashed .307/.356/.525 while hitting 29 home runs and driving in 97 RBI’s in 130 games for the Cubs.
Losing him this offseason without adding a replacement would be a big disappointment for the Cubs and would require others to step up and have bigger years to get that production back.
While there might be other options available, it’s apparent the Cubs are waiting on a Bellinger decision before pursuing other options as Bruce LeVine pointed out via Cubbies Crib just last week:
While speaking on 670 The Score during his Saturday morning show, “Inside the Clubhouse”, Bruce Levine angled the Cubs’ interest in Bellinger and Hoskins as an either-or. The belief is that the Cubs are prioritizing Bellinger over Hoskins and would only pivot to the former Philadelphia Phillies’ first baseman in the event that they miss on bringing back the 2023 National League Comeback Player of the Year.
This is the first time that the Cubs’ interest in Bellinger and Hoskins has been spun in the sense of the team only pivoting to Hoskins in the event that they miss on Bellinger. With the belief being that the Cubs had a need for two impact hitters in the middle of their lineup, a theory that has been spun regarding the off-season was one that includes the signing of both free agents.
With over a month until Spring Training begins, the Cubs are going to need to find some options to fill this lineup out. I wouldn’t panic just yet about the decisions the Cubs have made but the decision on whether or not Cody Bellinger is back could be a pivotal one for the future of the franchise both this season and long-term.
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