Cubs rumors: Marcus Stroman vouches for Cody Bellinger's contract of choice

Marcus Stroman departed the Chicago Cubs and signed a two-year deal to join the New York Yankees. However, he still holds his former Cubs teammates in high regard, including Cody Bellinger.

Bellinger, the reigning NL Comeback Player of the Year, is still a free agent, even with spring training now underway. Bellinger hit .307 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI in 2023 with the Cubs while also posting an .881 OPS but has yet to find a home.

Knowing this, Stroman weighed in and expressed hope that his former teammate will get the contract he deserves before long, via Jon Morosi of MLB Network.

"I love Belli. I'm hoping he gets the best deal possible," said Stroman. "Big fan of Belli. He's an incredible human. I love how he competes. His preparation is elite. I think he's back on MVP Belli track."

Marcus Stroman vouches for Cody Bellinger

Clearly, Stroman is as surprised as everybody else that a player of Bellinger's caliber is still a free agent. Bellinger is a former MVP after all, and appears to have regained his MVP form, as Stroman alluded to.

Unfortunately, it has simply been a very slow offseason. Even stars such as Blake Snell, Jordan Montgomery, and Matt Chapman are still available. But Stroman has faith that Bellinger will get the deal he deserves.

Teams could potentially be hesitating due to his decline over the three years before his bounce-back with the Cubs. Bellinger is also a client of Scott Boras, who is known for making sure his clients get the best possible deal. That could be the ultimate factor holding up Bellinger's free agency.

A reunion with the Cubs is not completely out of the realm of possibility, though the Cubs haven't made a big splash this offseason, save for Shota Imanaga.

It will be interesting to see how Bellinger's free agency plays out over the next few weeks.