Cubs rumors: Cody Bellinger's price and suitors, division race, Canario plan

Cody Bellinger's free agency is one to watch

Here's the good news: Someone in the Cubs front office is extremely wise. Signing Cody Bellinger, thought to be more or less past the peak of his career, has come close to how he performed when he was NL MVP with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2019. His OPS+ that year was above 160, this year he's in the 140s.

It was one of the best signings of the MLB offseason.

The bad news is that the Cubs only signed him to a one-year "prove it" deal, and he's performed so well that he might have priced himself out of coming back to Wrigley. Bob Nightengale's most recent column hit on a number of topics, and speaking on the "second-best" free agent this winter after Shohei Ohtani, Bellinger was the name that came up.

Again, that's a great look for the Cubs, but also potentially prohibitive for their hope to bring him back into the fold next year and beyond.

Nightengale suggests that Bellinger is going to get at least $200 million, and suggests the price could rise above $300 million depending on how the bidding goes. Really, the worst part of this is the teams he mentioned that are expected to chase Bellinger:

• San Francisco Giants
• San Diego Padres
• New York Yankees

All teams with plenty of money, enough money to overspend on a free agent like Bellinger. That may not bode well for the Cubs trying to keep their reclamation project back in town.

The good news for Chicago is that the Giants and Padres, thought to be leading suitors for Shohei Ohtani who wants to stay on the West Coast, may be too distracted trying to land him that there's a window for Bellinger to sign back in Chicago. That would leave the Cubs facing off with the Yankees and a number of other unserious teams looking to sign Bellinger.

Beyond money, it also comes down to what Bellinger wants. This will be his last major deal, so he may prioritize money. At the same time, knowing the slumps he's gone through, can he risk moving out of a place that has clearly reinvigorated his play and given him the confidence he needs to get back on track?

New York does have plenty to offer Bellinger other than money. For one, they need outfield help. Secondly, Bellinger's dad was a Yankee, and Bellinger won several World Series with the Yankees while he was young.

Cubs fans certainly hope Bellinger finds his way back to Chicago after an electric first year at Wrigley.