There’s a reason why the image at the top of this post was selected. especially because it shows Cody Bellinger celebrating a home run against the Cardinals in July of last year while the words CHICAGO CUBS are clearly visible behind him as he rounds the bases.
Naturally, we want him to stay there through the 2024 season and hopefully beyond.
This was evident throughout the Cubs Convention this past weekend, as Sara Sanchez documented here yesterday, as cries of “CO-DY!” echoed through many of the sessions. Cubs players also participated:
Rumour has it that Dansby Swanson has been discussing Bellinger’s return with Cubs execs. When Swanson assisted in pressuring Jed Hoyer not to sell off before the trade deadline in July of last year, it worked like a hint-dropper in the summer. There are many other ways for athletes to show leadership, and this is just one. In his one season (so far) wearing blue pinstripes, Cody Bellinger has also demonstrated leadership abilities. At CubsCon on Friday night, Ryan Dempster’s “On The Mound” broadcast mentioned Bellinger, saying, “He makes everyone around him better.”
Bellinger and potential contract proposals are topics I’ve talked about on this site before, here and here. It’s getting close to crunch time. The Cubs’ first Spring Training game, scheduled for Friday, February 23, at Sloan Park against the White Sox, is in just 39 days. Although the team has not yet formally issued reporting dates, those dates are likely four weeks away.
Bellinger has to be brought back into the fold. Some Cubs media members really believe he will return:
That kind of arrangement would at least assure Bellinger a two-year contract with the Cubs, in my opinion, should it pan out.
However, how about attempting a deferred-money contract similar to the Dodgers’ one that Shohei Ohtani signed? Give Bellinger a contract worth more than $200 million so he can keep all of the money, but withhold a large portion of it until after the eight years are done. Bellinger played for the Cubs, thus the team would have a reduced luxury tax figure during that time, and it appears the team is quite aware of this.
Please share any contract recommendations you may have in the comments section.
Bellinger and the Cubs meet each other’s needs, as many have said. Bellinger appeared to be having a great time playing on the North Side in 2023, and Cubs supporters were happy to have him here. At this stage of the offseason, I don’t see him fitting in with any other team. Bellinger would return to centre field if the Cubs decide to go with Michael Busch as their starting first baseman, but only until Pete Crow-Armstrong is ready. Craig Counsell would therefore need to play a lot of mix-and-match, with multiple players switching between DH and several other positions. I think having a problem like that would be beneficial.
The desire of Cubs supporters to have Jed Hoyer sign this player will not materialise. Simply said, that isn’t how executives in baseball operations operate. It does, however, appear to be a wonderful fit. Get it done, Jed.
