MLB Insider Says Chicago Cubs' Chances of Re-Signing Bellinger Have Increased

Cody Bellinger will be a highly sought-after free agent this winter. Will the Chicago Cubs be able to re-sign him?

Jack Vita | Sep 13, 2023

MLB Insider Says Chicago Cubs' Chances of Re-Signing Bellinger Have Increased /

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A month and a half ago, top news breaker Bob Nightengale proclaimed that the Cubs had "zero chance" at re-signing slugger Cody Bellinger, when he becomes a free agent this winter. In the time since, however, Nightengale believes that the chances the Cubs re-sign him have increased significantly.

Nightengale was asked recently on the Jack Vita Show if there is now a greater likelihood of Bellinger staying with the Cubs.

"Yeah, there is," Nightengale said. “You’re only going to have a few teams interested. Will the Yankees be interested? I would think the San Francisco Giants would be. You’re only talking about, realistically, three or four teams, because he’s going to ask for a lot of money. He’s going to ask for over $200 million for sure, if not $300 million. I would think it will be a slow winter for him. I could see him sitting out there in January or February, just waiting for someone to meet that price tag. Obviously the Cubs know him very well now after being with him. They know whether this is an aberration or if he’ll continue being better, now that he’s healthy. He has the most value to them. And I’m sure the Giants have interest as well. He’s a former Dodger, it would be kind of cool to have him there. And they need star power. If they can’t get Ohtani, maybe they say, ‘Okay, Bellinger, he can sell some tickets.”

If only a handful of teams pursue Bellinger, it will certainly increase the Cubs' chances of retaining Bellinger, who has been a huge difference-maker for them this season.

With or without Bellinger, the Cubs have a crowded outfield. In recent days, the club called-up top prospects Pete Crow-Armstrong and Alexander Canario. Chicago has corner outfielders Seiya Suzuki and Ian Happ locked up through 2026. In addition to Crow-Armstrong and Canario, the Cubs have two other top 100 outfield prospects, Owen Caissie and Kevin Alcantara.

Entering September 12, the Cubs are 15-18 with Bellinger out of their lineup in 2023. With Bellinger starting, the Cubs are 62-49. Chicago is 16 games better with Bellinger than without him.

The 2019 National League MVP has enjoyed a resurgent 2023, slashing .317/.360/.910 with 25 home runs, 89 RBI, 20 stolen bases and a 140 OPS+. Bellinger has the Cubs in position for their first postseason berth in a 162-game season since 2018.

Bellinger signed a one-year deal with the Cubs last winter, after struggling through the 2020-2022 seasons. Bellinger slashed just .203/.272/.648 during that time. Bellinger is back in MVP form, and regardless of where he signs, he will receive a handsome payday.

You can catch the full conversation with Bob Nightengale on the Jack Vita Show here:

Published Sep 13, 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.