Phillies, Yankees could have surprise competition for Cody Bellinger trade

Recently, the idea that the Chicago Cubs may look to trade their star outfielder, Cody Bellinger, has seemed more and more realistic. A month or so ago, the Cubs were in prime position to buy, but after struggling for a while, they look more than fit to sell in 2024, much to the dismay of their dedicated fanbase.

When a name like Bellinger lands on the trade block, the Philadelphia Phillies come to mind immediately. They need an outfielder quite desperately. The New York Yankees also come to mind. They need a first baseman quite desperately too. Bellinger plays both outfield and first base, which would fit these two powerhouse franchises perfectly.

Zachary Rymer of Bleacher Report recently ranked the best landing spots for Bellinger. The Yankees came in at third on his list and the Phillies in second. The Seattle Mariners, who need offense as badly as anybody in the league, came in atop Rymer's list.

"More generally, Bellinger is precisely the kind of hitter the Mariners need. While they're batting an MLB-low .217 with an MLB-high 888 strikeouts, he's batting .270 with a strikeout rate in the 76th percentile," Rymer wrote.

Mariners could be the best fit for Cody Bellinger, not the Phillies or Yankees

The Seattle Mariners need offense and they need it more than anybody in the entire league. Their offense ranks worse than the White Sox and Athletics, both of whom are among some of the worst teams of this generation. Yet, the Mariners hold a comfortable lead atop the AL West, despite their atrocious offense, because of just how incredible their pitching has been.

Adding Bellinger to this lineup would do wonders in turning their season-long hitting slump around. In the article, Rymer proposed a one-for-one deal that would send outfield prospect Jonatan Clase to the Cubs for Bellinger.

If I'm Seattle, I do this trade before the Cubs have an opportunity to come to their senses and hang up the phone.

Seattle has a special pitching staff that isn't like anything that anybody else in the league has. If they can form a competent, league-average offense around them, they could see their rotation carry them to a World Series. This starts with a win-now move like trading for Cody Bellinger.

The Mariners sit atop Rymer's rankings for a reason. That doesn't exactly mean that Seattle will be the ones to acquire him if he's dealt. That still comes down to the highest bidder in an aggressive market for the Cubs' slugger.