MLB Rumors: Kenley Jansen trade, Cubs Bellinger replacement, Cards dealing

MLB Rumors: Potential Cubs Cody Bellinger replacement could be in-house

With Shohei Ohtani off the board, the best position player available is very clearly Cody Bellinger who is going to get a ton of money. When at his best, Bellinger deserves what he's going to get and then some. He's a player who has won an MVP before and played like one this past season, finishing tenth in the NL MVP balloting.

The reason why we haven't heard many rumors surrounding Bellinger is because his floor is just so abysmal. In 2021 and 2022 Bellinger was among the worst everyday players in the game, leading to the Dodgers simply non-tendering him ahead of the 2023 season. Bellinger re-established his value, but teams are not forgetting the lows he displayed in back-to-back seasons.

The Chicago Cubs would love to have Bellinger back as he was a big reason they were so close to getting back to the postseason for the first time in a full season since 2018, but there's only so much they see they can realistically spend on a player who had a combined OPS+ of 66 before his great 2023 campaign.

Another reason why the Cubs are reluctant to spend so much is because they already have a potential Bellinger replacement in their organization. Pete Crow-Armstrong is one of the top prospects in all of baseball, ranked 12th overall by MLB Pipeline, and he could be ready to step in. He got his first taste of the bigs in September and could play every day in center field in 2024. If he isn't ready, the Cubs have Mike Tauchman who performed very well for a player they didn't expect much out of last season. An external free agent on a short-term deal could also make sense until Crow-Armstrong is ready.

A Bellinger reunion is likely high up on Jed Hoyer's list but is only something that's going to happen if it's within their price range. If not, the Cubs have every reason to believe they're fine in center field with the options they have in their organization.