Cubs are wasting Craig Counsell if latest Cody Bellinger rumors are true

The Chicago Cubs made Craig Counsell the highest-paid manager in baseball history just last winter. The Cubs front office, including Jed Hoyer, showed an impressive commitment to winning long term. The Cubs 2016 core is long gone, but they can retool around Counsell and a talented roster.

If they hope to make such adjustments, they'll need to make some risky investments. Signing Cody Bellinger to a multiyear deal was one of those investments. Bellinger is the definition of a boom or bust player. In 2023, Bellinger had an OPS of .881, so the Cubs signed him to a player-friendly contract. Bellinger has opt outs this winter and next, though he decided against using one this offseason. That was for good reason, as his OPS dropped to .751 in 2024, and he hit eight less home runs.

Despite the drop in production, Bellinger remains one of the more consistent hitters in the Cubs lineup. Getting rid of Belli would signify a step back for Chicago, which finished third in the NL Central last season, more than 10 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers.

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Chicago Cubs wanted to trade Cody Bellinger, and Craig Counsell should be furious

It was no secret at the GM meetings that the Cubs were hoping to trade Bellinger and dump his contract. Hoyer had trouble finding a suitor, which certain contenders might come to regret later on.

"The worst-kept secret at the GM meetings was the Cubs offering Bellinger to anyone and everyone. So far, no team has expressed strong interest," Bob Nightengale wrote in his latest column. “'Come on,' one GM said, 'who’s going to touch that contract? The risk is just too great for the production.'"

The answer was no one. It became brutally obvious the Cubs wanted to trade Bellinger for reasons I still don't completely understand. Without Bellinger in the lineup, Chicago's ability to consistently score runs – or scare opposing pitchers for that matter – goes down by quite a bit.

yes, Bellinger underperformed in 2024, but he still had an OPS solidly above the league average. If he can rebound to anything close to his 2023 form, then the Cubs will be thanking their lucky stars no opposing team took them up on their offer.