MLB Expert Predicts Price Tag of Cody Bellinger's Next Contract

How much money will Chicago Cubs slugger Cody Bellinger receive when he hits free agency this winter? MLB Expert Orestes Destrade gives a price estimate.

Jack Vita | Sep 7, 2023

MLB Expert Predicts Price Tag of Cody Bellinger's Next Contract /

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Chicago Cubs

As Cody Bellinger continues to thrive on the North Side for the Chicago Cubs, the price tag on the center fielder and first baseman appears to be steadily increasing.

Just over a month ago, top news breaker and longtime national baseball writer for USA Today, Bob Nightengale, told the Jack Vita Show that the Cubs have "zero chance" at retaining Bellinger and he expects the 2019 NL MVP to ask for at least $150 million in his next contract, when he becomes a free agent this winter.

In the 37 games since Nightengale made those comments, Bellinger has slashed .333/.369/.925, and it appears the price tag on the Arizona native has gone up.

This week on the Jack Vita Show, Major League Baseball analyst Orestes Destrade was asked about Bellinger's impact on the Cubs. While commenting on the slugger's phenomenal 2023 season, Destrade gave a price estimate on what his next contract could command.

“He is just doing everything right now for them,” Destrade said. “And not just hitting home runs and driving in runs. He’s scoring runs, stealing bases, he’s on the precipice of his 20th stolen base. I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t see Cody Bellinger being this great of a player; this dynamic, five-tool player. I saw him being good, but I didn’t see him being this great. And he’s positioning himself very much even beyond Swanson, as far as contract-wise. It’s going to take well over $200 million to sign this guy in the coming offseason, when he’s a free agent.”

Destrade was an on-air MLB analyst at ESPN for five years, appearing on Baseball Tonight and broadcasting the World Baseball Classic and Little League World Series. From 2011 through 2022, Destrade worked as a broadcaster, covering the Tampa Bay Rays for Fox Sports and Bally Sports. During that time, he co-hosted the Rays' pregame and postgame show, Rays Live.

Bellinger has been an integral part of Chicago's success this season. Entering play Wednesday, the Cubs have a record of 75-64, sitting two-and-a-half games back of the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Central.

With Bellinger out of the lineup, Chicago is a measly 15-18 this season. When he starts, the Cubs are 60-46. The Cubs are 17 games better with Bellinger than without him.

Through 108 games, Bellinger is slashing .319/.364/.546 with 23 home runs and 84 RBI. The former MVP appears to be in line for a hefty payday this winter.

You can catch the full conversation with Orestes Destrade on the Jack Vita Show here:

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Published Sep 7, 2023

JACK VITA

Jack Vita is a writer and contributor to Sports Illustrated's Inside the Cubs, and host of the Jack Vita Show, a popular sports podcast available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube and wherever podcasts are found. Jack is a 2017 graduate of Valparaiso University, in northwest Indiana. Since completing his degree, Jack has created his own independent sports media outlet (JackVita.com) and podcast (the Jack Vita Show). He has featured prominent guests from the worlds of sports and entertainment including Brian Urlacher, Scot Pollard, Bob Nightengale, Dan O'Dowd, and Survivor icons Stephenie LaGrossa Kendrick, Cirie Fields, Danni Boatwright and "the Dragon Slayer", Coach Benjamin Wade. While studying at Valparaiso, Jack was the school newspaper's beat writer for the Valpo Crusaders men's basketball team, which won three straight Horizon League championships from 2015-2017. Traveling to cover the team, Jack had a front row seat to one of the nation's best mid-major teams, headlined by future NBA Draft pick Alec Peters and coached by NCAA Tournament hero Bryce Drew. Jack hosted a weekly sports radio show and provided play-by-play and color commentary services for ESPN 3 and the university's student radio station, WVUR-FM, 95.1 The Source, covering Valparaiso men's soccer, women's basketball, softball and volleyball. Jack also covered these sports, in addition to men's and women's tennis, baseball and women's soccer for the school newspaper, The Torch. While he was in college, Jack interned for and co-hosted Jewell On Sports, a sports radio program on AM 1050 WLIP in Kenosha, Wisconsin. There, he interviewed various pro athletes such as Ahman Green, Javon Walker and Javier Arenas, in addition to talking sports with the late, great Brad Jewell. Jack also interned for 22nd Century Media, a now defunct newspaper corporation that provided news to the North Shore of Chicago. With 22nd Century Media, Jack wrote post-game recaps, feature stories about local athletes, reviews of local restaurants and compiled the newspaper's "Pet of the Week" and "Athlete of the Week" sections, while providing copy-editing services. Before attending Valparaiso, Jack enrolled at Carthage College in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he studied for two years before transferring. He is a high school graduate of New Trier Township High School in Winnetka, Illinois. You can follow Jack on Twitter @JackVitaShow, subscribe to his podcast, the Jack Vita Show, wherever podcasts are found, and reach him via email at jack@jackvita.com.