As any general manager in baseball can tell you, the Chicago Cubs are willing to trade Cody Bellinger.
They're actually eager to do so.
“The worst-kept secret at the GM meetings was the Cubs offering Bellinger to anyone and everyone,” USA Today's Bob Nightengale reported on Monday. “So far, no team has expressed strong interest.”
The former MVP and World Series champion is by no means a bad player at this point. He hit .266 with 18 home runs for the Cubs last year after hitting 26 homers in 2023.
There's just one problem.
“Come on,” one GM told Nightengale, “who’s going to touch that contract? The risk is just too great for the production.”
But the Cubs' ability (or lack thereof) to trade Bellinger may determine the rest of their offseason. Nightengale added that Chicago won't be in the mix for the offseason's marquee free agents unless they can deal their outfielder/first baseman. In the meantime, the Cubs are reportedly looking at mid-level free agents and leaving players like Juan Soto and Max Fried to other teams.
Potential Cubs trade partners for Cody Bellinger
Any team that trades for Bellinger would have to assume at least a portion of the two years and $52.5 million remaining on his contract. On one hand it's not a long-term commitment. On another, his salary could seriously hamstring teams looking to add a couple more pieces to make a championship run.
The New York Yankees have been linked to Bellinger for a while now and could be the type of team willing to take on his contract. The hiccup is that the Yankees are expected to go all-in on retaining Soto. If they do that, will Hal Steinbrenner want to take on Bellinger as well? New York needs a first baseman and that would be his most logical spot in the Bronx.
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The San Francisco Giants could also make sense for Bellinger.
“He was linked to the Giants in free agency last offseason for a reason,” ClutchPoints' Joey Mistretta wrote over the weekend. “Bellinger features enough offensive prowess to find success even in a big ball park like Oracle Park. He's also a tremendous defensive outfielder, so navigating the outfield in San Francisco wouldn't be a concern.”
The Giants have been thoroughly mediocre the last few years and the fanbase may be losing patience as the team continues to miss out on big-name superstars.
And if the World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers don't land Soto, Bellinger could be a good backup option as well. The Dodgers have every resource imaginable and the club has shown a willingness to take on big contracts.
