The Chicago Cubs will have decisions to make this offseason on the heels of another missed playoff run now making it four years straight that fans in Wrigleyville have not seen October baseball.
With holes around the roster that resulted in the team underachieving once again in the first year of the Craig Counsell era, no one move is going to vault the Cubs from a team who missed the Wild Card by six games to a World Series contender. But there’s at least one place they can start in order to secure a significant amount of offensive production from this past season.
Zach Pressnell of FanSided thinks that Chicago needs to bring back versatile slugger Cody Bellinger, who is widely expected to use his opt-out and become a free agent once again.
“Bellinger has been great for Chicago and he hasn’t shown any signs of slowing up. He’s a key piece of the lineup and his defensive versatility makes him even more valuable,” Pressnell wrote. “As long as there isn’t a team that’s willing to severely overpay for Bellinger, the Cubs need to find a way to bring him back. He’s become a fan favorite and the fans deserve Bellinger in a Cubs uniform for years to come.”
Bellinger’s ability to play anywhere on the diamond was huge for the team in 2024. He can play every position in the outfield as well as first base and of course designated hitter, and the team having a chess piece they can move wherever he is needed who is going to contribute in the lineup no matter what can be invaluable.
The 2019 National League MVP had a bit of a down season by his standards in 2024, slashing 266/.325/.426. But with 44 home runs over the last two seasons in Chicago, his bat is not one you can simply just replace with any given player in the lineup. Not to mention, he is still a young player at just 29 and clearly has a ton left in the tank if the team wants to extend him long term.
Bringing back Bellinger should of course not be the only major move the team makes in free agency, but it would certainly be a nice start towards getting the team back to a place where they can compete in the division.
