Mike Tauchman Non-Tender, Cody Bellinger Trade Talk May Signal Willingness to Play Kids

The Cubs created a little more roster flexibility on Friday by non-tendering a pair of players, one of whom had hung around a little too long. Choosing to let Mike Tauchman go for nothing isn’t quite on par with their Kyle Schwarber decision four years ago, but it was still somewhat surprising. It may also be telling, particularly when paired with the front office’s reported willingness to trade Cody Bellinger.

My sense all along had been that Bellinger would opt out, in large part to avoid the lack of control over his destination that he may now face. Then again, he and Scott Boras may still be able to direct the Cubs’ efforts because it isn’t going to be easy for them to find a taker for Bellinger’s $32.5 million guarantee. And that’s if he performs well enough to test free agency and earn a $5 million buyout for 2026. A disappointing season leaves his team on the hook for another $27.5 million in the third year of the deal the Cubs signed him to.

This situation is a microcosm of what the Cubs have with their roster in general because Bellinger’s got a high floor with a limited ceiling and no clear in-house upgrade. Should they keep him, they’re limiting the ability to bring prospects to Chicago. Should they trade him, it’s far from a sure bet that any of those prospects outperform him.

The pursuit of a masher like Anthony Santander is completely out of the question if Bellinger stays, but it’s still unlikely if he’s dealt. As much as the Cubs could use the boost in power, it would mean further locking up an outfield that already has several regulars under multiyear control. So now what?

That’s where we get back to Tauchman, who has been an ideal bench bat for the Cubs over the last two seasons. The Palatine Pounder put up a .360 OBP with a 110 wRC+ and solid outfield defense, frequently coming in cold and delivering a professional plate appearance against all manner of pitchers. At the very least, you’d figure they could trade a dude like that to a team with a thinner depth chart.

I initially had a hard time squaring the non-tender all on its own, but it got even harder to do so in light of the Bellinger report. After all, losing a solid performer and clubhouse presence would make a guy like Tauchman that much more valuable. But what if this means the Cubs are all-in on Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcántara, and perhaps even Alexander Canario?

Trades are going to have to happen over the next several weeks because there won’t be room for all those guys even if the Cubs do move Bellinger as well, and I’d guess Canario — who is out of options despite accruing only 0.031 years of service time — is the most likely among that group to be involved. Matt Shaw has vaulted himself into untouchable status, which, along with Cam Smith‘s immediate impact, could increase the front office’s willingness to deal James Triantos. But those guys don’t really factor directly with the outfield situation, so let’s get back there.

The Cubs have three-time Gold Glover Ian Happ entrenched in left field and future multi-time Gold Glover Pete Crow-Armstrong in center. Seiya Suzuki excelled in a primary DH role but could yet return to right if Bellinger is dealt, so there’s really no pressure on Caissie or anyone else to excel right out of the gate. As such, Jed Hoyer might see this as an opportunity to free up both payroll and roster space for promotions that have to happen soon.

Barring a change in tack, Hoyer isn’t going to be shopping at the top of the market for either offense or arms. And when you get down to it, the only thing keeping the Cubs from 90 wins this past season was a bullpen that didn’t piss down its collective leg with alarming frequency over the first couple months. The front office may believe that putting together a stronger relief corps will net them enough internal improvement to buy leeway for replacing Bellinger with a rookie.

We also need to consider that Bellinger put up just 2.2 fWAR last season, half of what he produced in his inaugural Cubs campaign. It’s not a stretch to believe Caissie could at least come close to matching that, but he doesn’t really need to if PCA plays the whole season like he did in the second half. So this isn’t a matter of pinning the future on one or two young guys, it’s about fostering an environment that allows them to succeed within the framework of the team. That doesn’t happen if they’re languishing in Iowa most of the year.

How the Cubs make that happen obviously remains to be seen, but I think we’re getting strong signals that they are comfortable bringing some of their top prospects up quickly. Maybe even immediately.