Apart from surprising the baseball community by signing record-breaking Milwaukee Brewers manager Craig Counsell, the Cubs have not taken any other action this summer. However, that does not imply they won’t eventually.
According to an MLB insider, they have the best chance of keeping Cody Bellinger, the left-handed center fielder who gave the Cubs his best season ever.
On a Bleacher Report webcast, Jon Heyman stated, “I think the Cubs have to be the favorite right now.” “The Yankees will not be allowed in. You know, the [Blue] Jays have a history. I still have hope that they might succeed. I continue to believe that the Giants might succeed. He could be useful to several teams. He was able to assist the Los Angeles Angels, the New York Mets, and the Seattle Marinerse.”
Theoretically, a few teams disqualified themselves from the Bellinger competition. They were virtually eliminated from the running when the Yankees traded for Juan Soto. There are others who believe the Blue Jays are eliminated from the Bellinger competition after they signed outfielder Kevin Kiermaier. But, as Heyman said, they might still be involved.
This offseason, Bellinger isn’t thinking small. Bellinger is open to all offers, his representative Scott Boras informed the media during the MLB Winter Meetings. No teams have been checked off his list.
“Our platform is Cody’s let us know that he’s listening to everyone involved, and there are no exclusions,” said Boras.
As previously noted, the Cubs have not yet taken any action. It seems like they were going all in for Shohei Ohtani. Regretfully, he signed a historic contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers; the deal is so big and intricate that it’s hard to hold the Cubs accountable for passing on him.
They have, however, been associated with multiple names. Heyman listed third baseman Matt Chapman and first baseman Rhys Hoskins as possibilities to bolster a perilously defensive infield. However, Bellinger seems to be a priority right now amid an atypically quiet offseason, based on Heyman’s report.
