Potential Landing Spots For A Cody Bellinger Trade

[Rcal10]

8 minutes ago, Stratos said:

Yeah but the xFIP is almost 2 runs lower than his ERA and he only signed with the team on March 29, didn't have a ST, didn't work in the winter with the team etc, fired Boras because of it.  His whole season was messed up.

I think Belli's contract might even be worse because of the extra year and 5m buyout next offseason.

I get your idea that he might have been bad because of the late start and might be a very good bounce back candidate. I might even agree with that. But you went a little too far suggesting Cody’s contract is worse. It isn’t. And TBH, Cubs can play the season with Cody on the team and I would be fine with it. I think he is much less of a risk than Montgomery. 

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Sorry, my comment was unclear. The earliest, most initial Bellinger rumors was for cap space, right? So Montgomery doesn’t accomplish that and neither does Montgomery + Puk. Puk solo? You’ve both made cap space and not completely cratered the talent on the roster to do it. I doubt either is interested in any of the combos for different reasons 

We agree that Montgomery for Bellinger is terrible even insulting, and I’d be insulting back insisting on Pfaadt until they hang up 

I don’t think it is “terrible and even insulting”. I think it is too much of a risk for the Cubs to assume a bounce back year from Montgomery. But he does have some good excuses for sucking and he did pitch in bad luck. That said, he is a much bigger risk. That is why I asked if adding Puk evens it out some. At the very least the Cubs get a good lefty pen arm. And they allow the Dbacks to deal Montgomery, which they very much want to do. And Bellinger replaces Joc. 

[Stratos]

5 minutes ago, Rcal10 said:

I get your idea that he might have been bad because of the late start and might be a very good bounce back candidate. I might even agree with that. But you went a little too far suggesting Cody’s contract is worse. It isn’t. And TBH, Cubs can play the season with Cody on the team and I would be fine with it. I think he is much less of a risk than Montgomery. 

I agree that Bellinger is less risky, but which pitchers available aren't risky?  They just signed Matt Boyd to 2/29 at 14.5m AAV and he's even riskier and won't throw the innings.  Walker Buehler is risky.  Flaherty is risky.  The older quality FA SP are risky due to age. The top FA SP all are risky signings too being pitchers and who will be years past prime age at the end of the contract,  plus some come with a QO.  Even Crochet is risky.

Given Monty is on a 1 year, not especially old, no arm injuries last year, him at 23.6m AAV (luxury tax avg) is probably high but not terrible Given what others are getting  Not saying I'd swap him with Belli though since it depends on what we have to replace Bellis bat and who's available at DH, OF, SP etc and their cost.  Those calculations are complicated.

[Stratos]

2 hours ago, TomtheBombadil said:

Sorry, my comment was unclear. The earliest, most initial Bellinger rumors was for cap space, right? So Montgomery doesn’t accomplish that and neither does Montgomery + Puk. Puk solo? You’ve both made cap space and not completely cratered the talent on the roster to do it. I doubt either is interested in any of the combos for different reasons 

Why are they clearing cap space?  Because they want to add elsewhere and think they can replace Bellinger for cheaper than he's worth to the Cubs.  If they clear cap space what positions do they want to use that most to upgrade?  SP and the pen.

Adding Puk isn't going to happen, that's too much IMO.  Maybe a lesser reliever. 

[Dfan25]

A team source said a Bellinger trade could happen this week .

[Cuzi]

5 minutes ago, Dfan25 said:

A team source said a Bellinger trade could happen this week .

This is like the equivalent of saying the sun will rise tomorrow.

[Manny Trillos Brother]

Seems like we might have the makings of a rare 3 team trade here:

Tucker to the Cubs
Cubs Prospects to Astros (exactly who depends on if he's willing to sign an extension)
Bellinger & Salary to the Yankees
Yankees Kicker Prospect to the Astros (quality of this prospect depends on amount of Belli's salary/next year risk they absorb)

I'm not particularly worried about the Yankees making a deal for Tucker. If the Cubs are truly interested they should easily be able to outbid the Yanks.

[Rcal10]

1 hour ago, Manny Trillos Brother said:

Seems like we might have the makings of a rare 3 team trade here:

Tucker to the Cubs
Cubs Prospects to Astros (exactly who depends on if he's willing to sign an extension)
Bellinger & Salary to the Yankees
Yankees Kicker Prospect to the Astros (quality of this prospect depends on amount of Belli's salary/next year risk they absorb)

I'm not particularly worried about the Yankees making a deal for Tucker. If the Cubs are truly interested they should easily be able to outbid the Yanks.

I don’t feel it needs to be a 3 team deal. Maybe 2 separate deals for the Cubs. One to get Tucker and another to trade Bellinger to the Yankees. 

[We Got The Whole 9]

I can't imagine the Yankees missing out on Tucker and facilitating the trade to bring him to another team. I think they'd be separate deals also.

[Bertz]

This got brought up in the Winter Meetings thread but the Yankees signing Christian Walker feels like it probably takes the Yankees out on Bellinger.

[Stratos]

1 hour ago, Bertz said:

This got brought up in the Winter Meetings thread but the Yankees signing Christian Walker feels like it probably takes the Yankees out on Bellinger.

Bellinger in CF, Domínguez in LF?  Or maybe they take a stab at Bregman?

[Bertz]

7 hours ago, Stratos said:

Bellinger in CF, Domínguez in LF?  Or maybe they take a stab at Bregman?

I had in my head that they had a more settled LF situation.  I guess my subconscious went ahead and gave them Soto since I expected him to end up there?

Yeah if their OF is currently Dominguez-Grisham-Judge I think Bellinger still fits.  Grisham is ideally a high end 4th OFer.

[Dfan25]

Heyman says there was a bit of progress late today between the Yanks and Cubs 

[chibears55]

If Bellinger has to be traded, I would like to see him go to the Phillies for Bohm.

Then use Hoerner to get a SP and start Shaw at 2B.

[Post Count Padder]

1 minute ago, chibears55 said:

If Bellinger has to be traded, I would like to see him go to the Phillies for Bohm.

Then use Hoerner to get a SP and start Shaw at 2B.

Phillies are gonna want more than Bellinger for Bohm.

I suppose there could be some 3-way trade like:
 

Phillies get: Bellinger, Mariners prospect like Tai Peete and they can have Ben Brown back
Cubs get: Castillo, Bohm
Mariners get: Hoerner, Phillies prospect like Griff McGarry, Cubs prospect like Drew Gray

 

But I'm not sure that works for everyone. I guess the pieces could be there. I also don't fully get why the Phillies would move Bohm. There's no one knocking on the door at 3B yet and he took a step forward at the plate and in the field while still being relatively cheap.

[Rcal10]

14 minutes ago, chibears55 said:

If Bellinger has to be traded, I would like to see him go to the Phillies for Bohm.

Then use Hoerner to get a SP and start Shaw at 2B.

Who else are you sending the Phillies? Why do you want Bohm over Nico? I am fine with Bohm, but I wouldn’t get him so I can trade Nico. Instead of all of this, just trade Bellinger and whoever else you were going to send hr Phillies for Bohm, for a pitcher. Keep Nico. 

[Derwood]

Someone talk to me about Warren. My 27 seconds of looking at his numbers look like he has struggled mightily the last two times he was promoted, and hasn't dominated at any level

Edited December 14, 2024 by Derwood

[Cuzi]

11 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Someone talk to me about Warren. My 27 seconds of looking at his numbers look like he has struggled mightily the last two times he was promoted, and hasn't dominated at any level

He's 25 years old with a plus plus slider. This FO drools from the mouth when they see a slider with that movement. And we are trading Bellinger who is underwater on his contract. The Cubs arent getting anything back beyond tools to work with.

[Bertz]

8 minutes ago, Derwood said:

Someone talk to me about Warren. My 27 seconds of looking at his numbers look like he has struggled mightily the last two times he was promoted, and hasn't dominated at any level

Superficially pretty similar to Wesneski.  High end sinker/slider combo but simply gives up too many dongs. 

The changeup IMO looks pretty nasty on video, so I'd think there's a better path to being a legit SP than Wes has at this point.  But the fact that he got lit up so thoroughly at AAA probably means there's a higher chance he just can't hack it in MLB at all.

[LBiittner]

Belli to the Yankees has hit a snag, according to Ahana Chatterjee (who?) Yankees want in excess of $10mil from jed. I can't see this going forward at those $

[KCCub]

Just now, LBiittner said:

Belli to the Yankees has hit a snag, according to Ahana Chatterjee (who?) Yankees want in excess of $10mil from jed. I can't see this going forward at those $

I’d love for another team to swoop in and trade for him and watch Yankee fans whine more after missing on Soto/Tucker/Bellinger. 

[LBiittner]

2 minutes ago, KCCub said:

I’d love for another team to swoop in and trade for him and watch Yankee fans whine more after missing on Soto/Tucker/Bellinger. 

Phillies ?

[UMFan83]

7 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Belli to the Yankees has hit a snag, according to Ahana Chatterjee (who?) Yankees want in excess of $10mil from jed. I can't see this going forward at those $

Seems like this might be the reason for the Hawkins quote on Bellinger today:

Quote

Belli's a good player. He's a really good player and he's been a really good player for a long time. And you can figure out ways to get good, versatile players into a lineup. Finding a place for Cody Bellinger to play is not a concern.

Yankees probably feel like they have some leverage now with the Tucker deal official and the Cubs are saying they can find a spot for Bellinger on the 2025 Cubs.

Edited December 14, 2024 by UMFan83

[17 Seconds]

is it at all possible the cubs keep bellinger? maybe if they get Sasaki?

[KCCub]

7 minutes ago, LBiittner said:

Phillies ?

Yep he makes a lot of sense for what they need if they could dump Nick C’s contract somewhere and the framework becomes Belli+ for Bohm. But I’m also hoping in general the Belli trade lands us a piece we need for next season - either a utility guy or BP piece. If the Cubs like Warren enough to think he can fill a Wesneski type role, I’ll trust their judgement, but he’s not my favorite type of return I’m hoping for.