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After a months-long staring contest, Jed Hoyer and Scott Boras got together on a deal that will keep Cody Bellinger on the North Side of Chicago for at least the 2024 season, according to Jeff Passan.
In some ways, the makeup of this deal makes a lot of sense. Yes, Bellinger wanted his comeback season in 2023 to net him more in free agency, but the Cubs (and clearly other MLB organizations) aren't 100% certain in a complete turnaround. So, instead of something like seven years and $200 million, there was some compromise. Bellinger's deal could be worth $80 million over three years. It also could potentially only cost the Cubs $30 million in 2024, and that's it.
This isn't the first time that Scott Boras has worked out a creative deal like this. Two offseasons ago, following the long lockout by owners, Carlos Correa had not yet signed and had just joined Boras Corp. In a 'normal' offseason, he would have received over $300 million, but teams weren't willing to do that with such a short timeline before the season was set to begin. Boras reached out to the Minnesota Twins and the two sides agreed to a three-year, $105 million contract with opt-outs after the first two seasons. No one expected the deal to be more than one season, and Correa did opt-out of it after that 2022 season.
A return to the North Side was never a foregone conclusion--not even after the Yankees, Blue Jays, and Giants each ended up filling their needs for left-handed bats in different ways. Bellinger and Boras never really expected that the former MVP would command $300 million in free agency, but they did have a hard line below which they were unwilling to go, and it took a while for the Cubs to decide that the slender slugger was worth that price tag--the heftiest in team history.
Still, the fit always made sense, even with Pete Crow-Armstrong nearly set to emerge as a full-fledged big-leaguer. Bellinger is no longer a plus center fielder, and will not even be passable out there much longer, but between Crow-Armstrong, Alexander Canario, and Kevin Alcántara, the Cubs have plenty of potential center fielders in medium term. For now, they'll pencil Bellinger into that spot, and into the heart of their batting order. If Crow-Armstrong is able to assert himself, Bellinger will become a full-time first baseman.
Bellinger also will get time at first base where newly-acquired Michael Busch was penciled in. Busch can also play second and third base where he could platoon with Christopher Morel. Regardless, Craig Counsell now has a middle of the order bat and some defensive flexibility.
More to come as we sort through the details here, but obviously, this is a very good day (notice the time of Passan's tweets for those who think baseball writing is glamorous).
Bellinger, 28, signed a one-year, make-good deal with the Cubs a year ago. He responded by putting up easily his best season since his MVP season of 2019 with the Dodgers. In 130 games for the Cubs in 2023, he hit . 307/.356/.525 with 29 doubles, 26 homers, and 97 RBI. Defensively, he made 81 starts in center field and 44 starts at first base.
What are your initial thoughts on Bellinger being back, what you expect his role to be in 2024, and how you feel about the contract that he signed?
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