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The free agency of outfielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger has likely dragged on longer than many thought it would. Where is the finish line in these sweepstakes, and will the Chicago Cubs be the team he plays for moving forward?
USA Today’s MLB editor Scott Boeck joined a group of staffers on January 31 to predict landing spots for the top remaining free agents. All five of those polled for this article said Bellinger would re-sign with the Cubs. However, Boeck’s specific prediction of how it would happen differed from the rest.
“Bellinger returns to Chicago on a short-term deal despite interest in moving back to Los Angeles to play for the Angels,” he said.
Cody Bellinger’s Asking Price Is Still Too High
Bellinger has been the top free-agent hitter available since the Los Angeles Dodgers signed Shohei Ohtani. Not only has he remained unsigned, but Bellinger still hasn’t even received a contract offer from an interested team yet, per USA Today’s Bob Nightengale.
That’s because the left-handed slugger’s asking price remains too high. Back on December 19, ESPN’s Jesse Rogers shared that agent Scott Boras was looking for a $200-plus million payday for his client. “Boras is sticking to the money that was mentioned at the start of the free agency market,” one executive said to Rogers. “He will take it well into the winter. Not budging.”
With teams set to report to spring training in just a couple of weeks, it certainly seems as if Boras hasn’t budged much — if at all — from his initial ask.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand noted on January 20 that there weren’t many teams making an aggressive push to sign Bellinger. So to not bid against themselves, the Cubs’ front office has been showing restraint in contract talks. That’s the main reason why the outfielder isn’t officially back in the fold at Wrigley Field yet.
Everyone Expects Him to Re-Sign With the Cubs
The expectation across baseball is that the Cubs and Bellinger will eventually agree on a contract. Feinsand said on January 20 that Chicago must be viewed as the favorite. The New York Post’s Jon Heyman also said the same thing during a January 26 Bleacher Report live stream.
MLB Network’s Jon Morosi once again echoed this on January 30. “The Cubs are the most likely landing spot for Cody Bellinger, multiple people in the baseball industry told me this week, although there is no indication that Bellinger is close to choosing a team,” he said via X (formerly Twitter).
This all makes sense. Bellinger just spent the 2023 season with the Cubs and put together his best performance since winning the 2019 National League MVP Award. He hit .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs, 29 doubles, 20 steals, 97 RBI and 95 runs scored in 556 plate appearances.
So, Chicago knows him and they clearly like him. President of baseball operations Jed Hoyer confirmed that himself, per The Athletic’s Sahadev Sharma on January 14. “I think the world of Cody. Obviously, he had a great year here. Even beyond having a great year for us, he really ingratiated himself well with the city, fan base and players. The players really think highly of him, and he knows I think really highly of him. None of that has changed at all.”
It seems like only a matter of time before someone blinks in this staring contest and Bellinger re-signs with the Cubs. But will it be a short- or long-term deal? That’s anyone’s guess at this point.
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