Finding Trade Partner for Cody Bellinger
According to several accounts, Jed Hoyer seems resigned to trading Cody Bellinger. Though that may hurt the Cubs in the short term, the front office is probably hoping to accomplish several goals by moving the beloved outfielder.
- Open up an immediate pathway for one of Owen Caissie, Kevin Alcántara, or Alexander Canario.
- Increase roster flexibility.
- Reduce salary, though not necessarily just to save money.
- Acquire controllable pitchers.
First and foremost, Hoyer can trade Bellinger without drastically hurting the team. The outfielder has been worth about 6.5 wins over two seasons, but Pete Crow-Armstrong and Michael Busch are expected to compensate for that loss of production as they mature. Both conveniently play Bellinger’s best positions, though that leaves a hole in right field assuming Seiya Suzuki is Chicago’s full-time DH. One of Caissie, Alcántara, or Canario should be ready to take over in March.
Hoyer might also look at Anthony Santander or Pete Alonso in free agency, or he could buy a year of Paul Goldschmidt and hope he returns to his pre-2024 form. The 36-year-old first baseman is getting a little long in the tooth, but he is just two years removed from his MVP season.
The Cubs could use the salary earmarked for Bellinger to dip further into the pitching pool. One would think Max Fried or Jack Flaherty would be in play in that scenario, provided either is still available. Hoyer has some time because teams might wait on Corbin Burnes, and the Cubs are also expected to pursue Rōki Sasaki. once he’s officially posted.
Finding a trade partner won’t be as difficult once Juan Soto makes a decision, something that could happen as early as this week. Soto will sign with one of the Mets, Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, or Dodgers, leaving four teams to sift through the options of trading for Bellinger or signing Santander or Teoscar Hernández. The Phillies and Giants also need outfield help, and you could probably make a case for the Angels, Astros, and Mariners as well. Hoyer will probably be looking for a reliever and a high-floor prospect, and he probably wants to avoid including prospects or paying down part of Bellinger’s salary.
Let’s take a look at what might be available. I’m not going to pick one particular team, but feel free to peruse the options and discuss your favorite(s) in the comments.
Giants
- Available Reliever: Camilo Doval
- High-Floor Prospect: LHP Carson Whisenhunt
Phillies
- Available Reliever: Matt Strahm
- High-Floor Prospect: C Caleb Ricketts
Astros
- Available Reliever: Brayan Abreu
- High-Floor Prospect: RHP Miguel Ullola
Mets
- Available Reliever: Sean Reid-Foley
- High-Floor Prospect: OF Drew Gilbert
Red Sox
- Available Reliever: Cooper Criswell
- High-Floor Prospect: SS Franklin Arias
Blue Jays
- Available Reliever: Bowden Francis
- High-Floor Prospect: OF Alan Roden
Yankees
- Available Reliever: Luke Weaver
- High-Floor Prospect: RHP Will Warren