MLB Rumors: Cody Bellinger hurdle, Blake Snell offer, Ohtani opening series hurdle

MLB Rumors: No formal offers yet for Cody Bellinger

Cody Bellinger entered free agency as the most coveted position player on the market. It is therefore rather telling that Bellinger has not received a single formal offer with less than a month until spring training starts. His rumored asking price lies north of $200 million. Like Snell, Bellinger's agent is Scott Boras, who drives a notoriously hard bargain. He prioritizes top dollar for his clients, often at the expense of familiarity.

That approach can always backfire, however, and it's clear Bellinger will eventually need to rethink his demands. Rather than spark a back-and-forth bidding war, Bellinger has left himself isolated with no clear direction. Several teams continue to express interest, the incumbent Chicago Cubs most of all. But unless Bellinger lets the price drop, he will continue to float unclaimed in the ether.

Bellinger's résumé is difficult to knock. He slashed .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBI in 499 AB for the Cubs last season. He was the NL MVP with Los Angeles back in 2019, while his trophy case features Rookie of the Year, Gold Glove, two Silver Slugger awards, and NLCS MVP. Oh, and the 2020 World Series title.

That said, Bellinger comes with a few skeletons in the proverbial closet. Before landing in Chicago, he was briefly one of the worst regular position players in baseball (at least relative to expectations), batting .165 in 2021 and .210 in 2022. Bellinger dealt with several injuries and looked like a phantom of his former self at the plate before he resurrected his career with the Cubs. Even with such a major bounce-back in production, however, there are concerns about Bellinger's low hard-hit rate (31.4 percent, in the 10th percentile). Not to mention the classic 'flash in the pan' narrative that follows any successful veteran with a recent low period.

Bellinger should receive a hefty long-term contract from a team in need of power-hitting from the left side. Just don't be shocked if the final number is lower than initial projections, as teams are clearly still bothered by the less flattering portion of Bellinger's track record.