NL Central Rival Looming as Threat to Steal Chicago Cubs' Star

An NL central rival is beginning to loom as a potential threat to steal a star from the Chicago Cubs.

Aug 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Chicago Cubs right fielder Cody Bellinger (24) hits a two-run home run during the second inning against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. / Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

The MLB offseason is about to get underway and the Chicago Cubs are facing one of the biggest questions in all of baseball.

Will Cody Bellinger opt into his contract of $27.5 million for the 2025 MLB season or will he opt out and test free agency?

No one knows what he will choose to do, but it could impact the plans of quite a few teams, obviously including the Cubs.

If the star outfielder and first baseman opts to return, Chicago won't have to be nearly as aggressive as they would have to be if he opts out. For other teams, there are quite a few who would see him as a perfect fit for their future plans.

Should Bellinger decide to opt out out of his deal and hit the free agency market, there are many teams who would line up with interest in him. One of them happens to be a National League Central rival of the Cubs.

Jim Bowden of The Athletic has linked the Pittsburgh Pirates as a top fit for Bellinger. Seeing him leave town and join the Pirates would be a tough pill to swallow for Chicago.

Pittsburgh would certainly make sense as a Bellinger destination. They could use an upgrade at first base or in the outfield. Adding the offense that Bellinger is capable of bringing to the diamond would be a huge step in the right direction for the Pirates.

During the 2024 MLB season with the Cubs, Bellinger dealt with quite a few injury issues throughout the year. He had a bit of a down season.

In 130 regular season games, Bellinger ended up hitting 18 home runs to go along with 78 RBI. He also slashed .266/.325/.426. Those numbers would be an excellent upgrade for Pittsburgh.

As for Chicago, if he chose to leave they would have to pivot quickly and replace his production.

Jed Hoyer could opt to try and replace him with one of the team's outfield prospects. However, that would not be the kind of win-now move that the Cubs are expecetd to try and make this offseason.

All of that being said, the future of Bellinger will be the first question that Chicago needs to have answered to begin the offseason. A decision should be coming at some point in the near future.

Expect to hear more news about this situation in the near future. If Bellinger opts out, there is a decent chance he could end up joining the Pirates or at least receiving heavy interest from them.