Cubs rumors: Bellinger trade, Stroman’s fate, Taillon’s groove back

Cody Bellinger linked to Yankees

Cody Bellinger has been linked to the Yankees by a scout that floated him as a hypothetically strong fit in the Bronx to NJ.com. Bellinger’s resurgence with the Cubs has made him an attractive offensive weapon if available on the trade market, one that teams like the Yankees absolutely must make calls on.

The Yankees need outfield help. They also need batting. With the third-worst batting average in MLB, the fourth-worst on-base percentage, the Yankees have stuck with the theme of living and dying by the home run ball in 2023 just as they have in year’s past. New York has hit the fifth-most home runs in MLB despite struggles in other metrics.

The quality of pitching has been generally good for New York, and it’s largely been a requirement for it to be solid for the Yankees to win games since they are scoring runs at a lower clip (19th in total runs). As a result, Yankees pitchers have faced the 12th-most batters in medium or high-leverage situations. The bullpen, in particular, has not been able to breathe much.

For all of those reasons, Bellinger is a no-brainer fit. But just like Stroman, don’t assume the Cubs are an instant middle-man to help teams with massive payrolls get their coveted players.

Bellinger is on a one-year deal, and the Cubs could hold if they want to remain competitive. Bellinger told reporters Friday that he loves being in Chicago and would like to stick around to see what kind of a run the team can get on.

The Cubs can keep him, but trading him might have been predestined. Ultimately, the best-case scenario for Chicago when they signed him this offseason is exactly what’s playing out now. Bellinger, a former MVP, struggled mightily the last few years. Chicago signed him to a generous one-year deal that would give him financial security while he proved he can still hack it in the major leagues.

Prove it he has, and now Chicago can make good on its wise investment and cash in by sending him off to a competitor.

Or, similarly to Stroman, if they truly believe competing in the postseason is a possibility, they can keep him for the duration of the deal. A trade feels far more likely for Bellinger than Stroman, however.

Bellinger’s father played for the Yankees in the late 90s, so there are pinstriped connections.