Cody Bellinger backs up Scott Boras despite poor start to Cubs 2024 season
By Curt Bishop
Cody Bellinger is not off to a good start after re-signing with the Chicago Cubs for three years and $80 million.
The reigning National League Comeback Player of the Year is hitting just .222 with a .726 OPS after hitting .307 with 26 home runs, 97 RBI, and an .881 OPS in 2023.
The struggle has been real for several of Scott Boras' clients in addition to Bellinger. Matt Chapman and Blake Snell are also not performing up to par, with Snell posting an 11.57 ERA in three starts and Chapman hitting just .205 with a .676 OPS.
Recently, Jordan Montgomery left Boras and signed with Wasserman, which has led to some speculation that more Boras clients will leave him, especially after his struggles to get his clients the deals they desired in free agency.
However, that doesn't appear to be on Bellinger's mind right now. Instead, he maintains that Boras is not the problem.
"I got a lot of people asking," Bellinger said. "But I'm not leaving him."
Cody Bellinger not blaming Scott Boras for slow start
Bellinger clearly has no plans to leave Boras despite speculation after Montgomery's departure.
And while he acknowledged that he had a little less preparation time than most, he isn't blaming his agent for his struggles.
"April is always hit or miss. It's a crazy month," he said. "Some guys come out hot, some don't. I've got to make that adjustment. It's a hard game."
Baseball is indeed a hard game, and Bellinger is living proof of the ebbs and flows of the game. After winning the NL MVP Award in 2019 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the slugger fell on hard times and posted averages below .250 in the following three years. After hitting just .210 in 2022, his time with the Dodgers ended.
But he ultimately found his old form last year with the Cubs and still has time to figure things out early on this season.
The Cubs are off to a good start, sitting just two games back of first place with a record of 13-9, even with Bellinger struggling this month.
As of now, it appears as though Montgomery is an outlier in this case of clients choosing to leave Boras. Bellinger clearly has faith in him and isn't blaming him for his early-season struggles.
Time will tell if Bellinger can heat up and continue a positive trend after last year's resurgence.
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