Pitchers and catchers are set to report for spring training and Cody Bellinger is still a free agent. With the 2024 season just over a month away, Bellinger has yet to sign a contract in MLB free agency. Bellinger enjoyed a resurgent campaign with the Chicago Cubs in 2023, and a return to Chicago has been mentioned as a possibility. Cubs outfielder Ian Happ addressed Bellinger’s seemingly never-ending free agency on Wednesday, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN.
“He’s not the first guy to go through it that way,” Happ said of Bellinger. “There’s plenty of guys that have gone late into spring training…That’s the way the market shaped up this year. For them, that’s the way they’ve chosen to do it. There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Why hasn’t Cody Bellinger signed yet?
There are likely multiple factors proving to be roadblocks in free agency for Bellinger. It should be noted that other stars such as Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery haven’t found new homes yet either.
For Bellinger, the outfielder reestablished himself as a star in 2023 with Chicago after struggling in back-to-back seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Everything went according to plan in Chicago for Bellinger, who signed a one-year deal in hopes of increasing his value ahead this offseason.
It appears that Bellinger, whose agent is Scott Boras, hasn’t received an offer he wants to accept yet. Teams may be hesitant since Bellinger has previously dealt with inconsistency and injuries. There’s no denying the upside of the former MVP, but signing Cody Bellinger to a long-term contract would present an element of risk.
It’s also uncertain exactly what teams are interested in Bellinger. The Cubs, as aforementioned, are seemingly the favorite. The San Francisco Giants, Toronto Blue Jays, and Los Angeles Angels are also among the teams that have been linked to Bellinger during the offseason.
Yet, there haven’t been many reports of talks heating up. So it isn’t clear how interested these teams are in the 28-year-old.
Happ made a good point, though. Cody Bellinger certainly isn’t the first player to remain unsigned in spring training. Signing a multi-year contract is a huge decision and Bellinger wants to make sure he lands in an ideal situation.
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