High-profile agent Scott Boras represents former Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger, and he was in fine form as he described what the team would have to do to secure a reunion.
Boras, long-known for his colorful quips about his free agent clients, spoke to media at the General Manager meetings in Arizona this week, and he was especially loquacious about Bellinger’s status on the free agent market.
“Chicago got the comforts of a full ‘Belli,’ so they’re going to have to loosen their belts to keep Bellinger,” he said.
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Most free agency rankings put Bellinger just behind Shohei Ohtani in terms of the most attractive candidates on the market, and his 2023 statistics reveal the reason why. He had a renaissance year with the Cubs, slugging 26 home runs and driving in 94 RBI’s. He had a .307 batting average, which ranked him in the top-10 in baseball, and put up an .881 OPS.
Bellinger declined the team option on his deal with the Cubs, paving the way to becoming a free agent.
Boras says that there is “broad interest” in his client, and he anticipates a high asking price.
“There’s broad interest in Cody Bellinger because certainly in the outfield and first base areas in this market he is the young jewel,” he said.
MLB
Bellinger won Silver Slugger awards for the Cubs this season thanks to his exploits, which followed several down years with the Los Angeles Dodgers, who non-tendered him after the 2022 campaign.
The Cubs have been one of the teams interested in Bellinger, along with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, among others.