Yes, Cubs should be scared of losing Cody Bellinger to big-market team

The Chicago Cubs remain the favorites to re-sign outfielder Cody Bellinger, as no team has given in to his asking price just yet. As far as we know, Bellinger is seeking a $200 million offer which he may not receive.

Bellinger is coming off an impressive campaign in a contract year. I certainly understand how this works, as Boras is willing to wait until the last minute for a competitive offer for Belli. He slashed .307/.356/.525 last season and played a solid center field. He'll enter the year as a possible MVP candidate wherever he signs.

FanSided's Robert Murray commented on Bellinger on The Baseball Insiders podcast, giving an intriguing opinion on the free-agent outfielder. Reports connecting Bellinger to the Phillies may not be completely unfounded.

"As far as the Boras Core 4 (Matt Chapman, Jordan Montgomery, Blake Snell, Cody Bellinger) the longer they are on the market, the more likely it is another team could scoop them up," Murray said. "On paper, the Phillies could make sense."

MLB Rumors: Could the Phillies make a competitive offer for Cody Bellinger?

As Murray noted, Dave Dombrowski does love stars, and owner John Middleton has money to spend. Whether they deem Bellinger worth the risk remains to be seen. Right now, there isn't much movement in Bellinger's market.

"I don’t think anything can be ruled out with the Phillies. They give Harper a lot of influence. Middleton likes to spend. Dombrowski likes stars," Murray continued.

It should be noted that this is only Murray's opinion. Boras likes to keep matters with his clients close to the vest. Despite pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in recent days (for some teams), Boras and his clients are fine playing the waiting game.

The Phillies were initially mentioned as a dark horse contender by Howard Eskin. The longer the Cubs hold out from giving into Bellinger's contract demands, the more likely it is that he signs elsewhere. Such is the business of free agency in any sport.

Chicago is baking on eventually meeting Bellinger in the middle. It remains to be seen if that strategy will work in their favor.