3 more Cubs who won’t be back as Chicago loads up without Cody Bellinger

In trading Cody Bellinger, the Cubs parted with a good but not great player in exchange for the remainder of his contract, which Jed Hoyer got off the books (minus $5 million). Bellinger's deal was expected to pay him over $50 million in the next two years, barring he doesn't opt out after the 2025 season to become a free agent.

This isn't even to say that Bellinger's contract was a really bad one, but it did make a dent in the Cubs future spending. Chicago traded for Kyle Tucker, who is on the final year of his own contract and will receive a large payday by next winter. At his best, Tucker is a five-tool player and an MVP-caliber one at that. He could be the centerpiece of a lineup destined to power its way through NL Central pitching, even without Bellinger.

Moving forward, the Cubs have obvious needs in the starting rotation and bullpen. They've been connected to Luis Castillo, for one, and Jesus Luzardo remains available. With any of those trades will come tough decisions, as several longtime Cubs could be on the outs.

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3. Cubs prospect Owen Cassie could be part of a trade

With Bellinger out of the picture and Tucker only signed through 2025, it might not be wise for Hoyer to trade away another near-MLB ready outfielder. However, Owen Cassie has already garnered some interest this winter.

While the Cubs did not trade for Garrett Crochet – now a member of the Boston Red Sox – had they been more involved, Cassie surely would've been a centerpiece. The White Sox wanted position player prospects, and Cassie is the Cubs No. 2 prospect and an outfielder – though it's unclear if scouts believe that to be his permanent home.

Just last season in Triple-A Iowa, Cassie slashed .278/.375/.472, and could make the big-league roster out of spring training if he plays his cards right. Cassie is just 22 years old, and would be an ideal fit for, say, the Seattle Mariners in a trade for Castillo.

Either way, if Chicago pursues a pitching upgrade via trade, expect Cassie to get a mention.

2. Is the Seiya Suzuki drama solved for the Cubs?

Before the Cubs traded Bellinger, they were deciding between him and Seiya Suzuki. Bellinger made the most sense as he was a more tradable asset, but Suzuki's contract doesn't look much better. The Cubs would prefer Suzuki move to designated hitter long term, but he's not interested in making such a transition.

“Jed has been very communicative about it,” Joel Wolfe, Suzuki’s agent, said. “I talked to him about it last night. He told me what teams they’ve been talking to. I don’t think he wants to trade Seiya, but there may be a scenario where he feels like he has a deal that he can’t say no to.”

Wolfe also hinted that Suzuki enjoys roaming the outfield defensively, and doesn't want a permanent move to DH.

“Seiya was a great defender in Japan, so it’s not a compliment to him being a DH,” Wolfe said. “I think that if he was being posted in Japan, and teams were presenting to him their opportunities, and they said, ‘You could come here and be our full-time DH,’ I don’t think he would have signed with that team.”

Yet, the stats don't lie. Last season Suzuki was -4 Outs Above Average as a defender in right field. At 30 years old, this is a transition Suzuki will eventually have to embrace, even if it's earlier than he expected. If not, the Cubs might not want to deal with another disgruntled player.

1. The Cubs aren't bringing Nick Madrigal back

I'll cap us off with a no-brainer for Cubs fans. Infielder Nick Madrigal – who primarily plays second base – will not be back in 2025. Hoyer and the Chicago front office non-tendered Madrigal a few weeks ago, and who can blame them? In just 51 games played in 2024, Madrigal somehow had -.7 WAR, per FanGraphs. That's almost impressive.

Madrigal is only used when he can hit for a high average and defend at his best. Some team will give him a flyer to make a bench spot in spring training, but that team should not be the Cubs. Madrigal offers very little power – the only ball he hit last season which went over the fence was a ground rule double, yikes – and his baserunning and fielding have taken a step back in recent years.

Madrigal was once a promising part of the Cubs return for Craig Kimbrel, but those days are long gone.