Cubs rumors: Cody Bellinger latest, Yamamoto disappointment, Hendricks extension

Latest on Cody Bellinger reunion likelihood

Cody Bellinger remains unsigned, and reports early in free agency indicated that it might be some time before the 2023 Cubs revitalization project decides on where he'll play next.

The New York Yankees were thought to be interested, but now have little use for Bellinger after acquiring outfielders Alex Verdugo and Juan Soto via separate trades. They could use Bellinger at first base, but still roster Anthony Rizzo, who dealt with post-concussion syndromes for most of 2022 and hopes to get back to full health in 2023.

Scott Boras, Bellinger's agent, gave some insight to his client's process recently. He said that Bellinger would listen to anyone interested in paying for his services with, "no exclusions."

The Cubs, surely, would like to bring back the contact hitter that restored his reputation on a one-year deal with Chicago this past year. But the lingering factor continues to be price, as Bellinger's bounce-back season was good enough that it could put his market beyond what the Cubs would like to pay.

Beyond affordability, there are practical reasons to balk at a high price tag for Bellinger, too. His 2023 was incredible offensively, one of his best at the plate. But we're just two years removed from a season where he was about 20 percent worse than the average OPS, and two years removed from a year where he was 56 percent worse than the average OPS.

Yes, 2023 was great, but recent history features more bad years for Bellinger than good.