Cubs Ex-Slugger Predicted to Land With Surprising NL Team

There's been a lot of speculation about where the Chicago Cubs' ex-slugger might play next season with one prediction having him land on a surprising team.

The Chicago Cubs have found their names floated and connected with a lot of players this offseason as they are projected to aggressively spend in free agency.

One of their former sluggers, Cody Bellinger, has also had his name circulated throughout the Hot Stove with multiple potential destinations speculated upon.

The Cubs have stated that they'd like to re-sign the lefty power hitter, however, the market seems to be very competitive to land the former MVP.

Bellinger had a bounce back season in 2023 after struggling with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the past three years. His one-year deal in Chicago allowed him to potentially capitalize on his turnaround.

Andy McCullough of The Athletic thinks that the San Francisco Giants will sign slugger this offseason.

"But when he is right, as he was for the Cubs in 2023, Bellinger is a five-tool force, capable of playing strong defense in center field while hitting for power. He stole a career-best 20 bases last season while supplying 26 homers and an .881 OPS. San Francisco has to gamble on getting that type of player," he writes.

After missing out on some of the best players in free agency the past few years, the Giants need to make a splash and this could be their opportunity.

If the Cubs aren't able to re-sign Bellinger, that would be a huge blow to their lineup.

However, there are also some red flags about the star slugger going forward despite the good year he had in 2023.

"There are plenty of reasons to worry about Bellinger. His offensive approach has been inconsistent. He has dealt with injuries throughout his career, including a two-season stretch effectively wrecked by various woes in 2021 and 2022," McCullough notes.

This continues to be a situation to monitor as more and more teams have been linked to signing the star in free agency.