In the current MLB free-agent market, those who took advantage of opportunities in November and December received a substantial amount of money. Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Sonny Gray, Jung-Hoo Lee, and several others were generously compensated. On the other hand, those who chose to wait until January, like Marcus Stroman, secured a good amount of money but were considered a cost-effective signing. Meanwhile, there are still players who have not signed yet, as they were dissatisfied with the offers presented to them. Despite most teams having already utilized the majority of their budget and spring training being underway, these players are still hopeful to receive their desired contracts. Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, Cody Bellinger, J.D. Martinez, and others fall into this category. Surprisingly, Bellinger, who could provide much-needed offensive assistance to many teams, has not signed with any team yet. The Chicago Cubs, his previous team in 2023, have reportedly expressed interest in bringing him back. However, these discussions have been ongoing for weeks, and a deal is not expected to happen immediately. The owner of the Cubs, Tom Ricketts, commented on Bellinger’s free agency status, but it may not have been the news fans were hoping for. Ricketts stated, “There’s been some discussions but it hasn’t become a negotiation yet.” While “some discussions” is better than nothing, it indicates that there is ongoing dialogue. If the Cubs are truly committed to contending, it is crucial for them to re-sign Bellinger. He was their standout player in 2023, contributing excellent defense in center field, 26 home runs, a .881 OPS, 20 stolen bases, and 97 RBI. Without him, the team still has potential, but they are undoubtedly stronger with him on their roster. Considering that spring training has already commenced, anything can happen at any moment. Nevertheless, each day that passes without a contract seems to diminish Bellinger’s value.
According to the Source thecoldwire.com