With The Brief But Enthralling Cody Bellinger Era Possibly Ending, What Did It All Mean?

[RavenCub30]

While the 2024 season has been a disappointment, Cody Bellinger's time in Chicago has left its mark on fans.

Image courtesy of © Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

I keep my phone face down on my nightstand overnight to help me sleep better. Less distraction and less unnecessary light beaming out of my device like a walk sign on Michigan Avenue. But then, one night, I left it face up, and at around 2:00 AM, I got the same alert I’m sure many of you did as well.

ESPN Breaking News: Per Jeff Passan, Cody Bellinger signed a three-year deal with the Cubs.

Player opt-outs are after each of the first two seasons, essentially making it three consecutive one-year deals. It was the first move from this past off-season since the hiring of Craig Counsell as manager that got me truly excited and hopeful for the season ahead.

Without belaboring how wrong I was about where this club would be at this point of the season, the Bellinger signing was still an encouraging development at the time, both from the perspective of the front office delivering a player the fan base wanted and cementing a certified superstar in the Cubs’ everyday lineup. You might argue that his past droughts exclude him from the superstar moniker (they don’t), and you might even think he’s a tad too expensive (he is), but one thing you should do unequivocally is this: remember his time here fondly.

Many professional sports cities have local legends addressed by first or last name only, and Chicago is no exception; here are a few that come to mind: Ditka, Jordan, Rizzo, and, yes, Belli. Switch-hitting Cubs’ stalwart Ian Happ was on 670 The Score the other day for one of his regular interviews and alluded to this idea that players don’t simply show up in the majors and set the world on fire. There’s a natural and expected gestation process for a player to become great, even intriguing.

Looking at what Cody Bellinger has done in his time in Chicago, answer these questions: Who has been a more exciting player? Which player poses more of a problem for opposing pitchers? The answer is not many. For every Gunnar Henderson and Julio Rodriguez, countless other players are standing in the shadows of anonymity, hoping to impact a big league ball club in a major way.

Belli doesn’t live in anonymity; he’s what we call “a dude,” and he ignites the kind of magic that Jed Hoyer and every other GM in the game pine for, search for, and often never find.

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