Chicago Cubs Have Two Major Suitors for Star Outfielder

The Chicago Cubs have a couple of teams lined up if their star player hits the trade market.

Jun 18, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs outfielder Cody Bellinger (24) is greeted after scoring against the San Francisco Giants during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field. / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

The Chicago Cubs could be moving on from a star outfielder and they look to have two teams vying for him.

As Levi Weaver of The Athletic released his latest MLB trade deadline report, he touched on the trade status of Chicago's Cody Bellinger.

"... the Cubs also appear to be running out of time to turn things around," said Weaver. "One name that has begun to circulate is outfielder Cody Bellinger, who has reportedly drawn interest from the [Texas Rangers] and [New York Yankees]."

Chicago's season has been a far cry from their 19-12 start, as they've fallen to 39-47 and are pretty much completely out of contention for the NL Central at 12 games back. They're also 5.5 games behind in the Wild Card race with the third-worst record in the National League.

With a 3-7 record in their last 10 games, things are looking bleak in terms of postseason hopes. If they decide to become sellers, Bellinger makes sense as someone that would be on the move.

After an interesting contract negotiation, he decided to sign back with the Cubs on a three-year, $80 million deal. That came with a catch, though, as the final two years came with a player option. If the expectations are that he's unhappy and could move on in hopes of a bigger contract, they might as well trade him away to get something of value back.

The 28-year-old would be an intriguing add for any playoff contender. He offers complete outfield versatility as well as first-base experience.

He hasn't been the same player he was when winning an MVP in 2019, but he's improved from his later Los Angeles Dodgers years.

In 2024, the lefty slugger was slashing a .267/.326/.416 line entering Tuesday's game in which he went 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI. The power hasn't been the same as it was a year ago, but there could still be hope in him finding it. He's up to nine on the year, but hit just one in June.

Texas has also had a similarly weak start to the season, a 36-49 record, but also could talk themselves into being closer to contention after winning the World Series just last season.

New York makes more sense in terms of being clear buyers at the trade deadline. They have a 54-33 record and have multiple clear positions on their lineup where Bellinger could fit.