The Chicago Cubs were big spenders during the MLB offseason, securing some quality talent after a couple of rebuilding seasons. Of course, not all of the acquisitions the Cubs made during the offseason will be surefire home runs. In fact, some of the moves can be considered rather risky.
Among the multitude of new faces the Cubs signed this offseason include Dansby Swanson, Jameson Tailon, Cody Bellinger, and Trey Mancini. Additionally, they executed a couple of underrated moves by adding Eric Hosmer, Tucker Barnhart, and Brad Boxberger.
In general, these moves are all heading in a positive direction as they will improve the Cubs’ performance immediately. However, there is one move that poses the most risk and that is signing former Los Angeles outfielder Cody Bellinger, albeit only for one season.
Cody Bellinger
Entering his seventh season in the majors, this is the first time that Cody Bellinger will be playing for another team in his MLB career. Even at 27 years of age, Bellinger has experienced a combination of a ton of scrutiny and criticism along with roaring cheers and support from the Dodgers faithful.
He was ninth in the NL MVP race in his first season and won his first and only NL MVP in 2019 at just 23 years of age. Bellinger had a sensational OPS of 1.035 along with 47 homers and 115 RBI. Comparing it to the drastic drop-off he produced last season, Bellinger contributed an OPS of .654 with 19 HR and 68 RBI. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had trouble inserting him at the top or middle of the order because of his inconsistencies at the plate.
Bellinger’s batting average over the past three seasons has been horrific, and that seems to contribute to his lack of confidence and rhythm. Nowadays, batters tend to prioritize going for the long ball or pulling the ball too much, which negatively affects their ability to make contact. With the Bellinger signing in Chicago, he will be expected to contribute at a high level as they paid him $17 million for the one-year contract.
As a former player, manager David Ross knows the ceiling and capabilities of Cody Bellinger, and he could have been a key cog in convincing the front office to take a chance on him. The Dodgers seemed out of the negotiations for him because they were already disappointed with his performance, especially against left-handed pitching.
Bellinger will be playing alongside outfielders such as Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki, so he’ll have some high profiles alongside him to live up to. The Cubs are still a team composed of youthful players, so the objective is to continue to grow slowly, and Bellinger will likely be expected to help mentor these individuals, while hopefully re-discovering his previous MVP form.
In 2021, Bellinger sustained two major injuries; a hairline fracture in his left fibula as well as some lingering hamstring tightness. Out of 162 possible games, he only appeared in 95 of them. In 2022, it was hamstring tightness again that sidelined him for several contests. Christopher Morel will likely slide to 3B with Bellinger’s addition, but that does not mean the Cubs are a deep team.
The roster of the Cubs is far from the one in LA, so Bellinger must remain healthy and start being more efficient with all his plate appearances. If he can make the much-needed corrections at the plate, Bellinger could be a dynamite signing for the Cubs. However, handing $17 million to a player who batted .210 last season is a risky offseason move from the Cubs. While the one-year deal eliminates much of the risk compared to a deal like Swanson, Bellinger’s injury woes and recent struggles make the price something of a concern.
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