Amidst the noise of Shohei Ohtani‘s $500 million contract and with Yoshinobu Yamamoto not trailing far behind in terms of the popularity, one name has remained in the shadows – the 2019 MVP Cody Bellinger. After his massive comeback last year, while playing for the Chicago Cubs, his super agent Scott Boras is looking for a mega deal for the lefty outfielder. Even though the Cubs and Bellinger both loved their experience with each other, their chances of being together again are surprisingly low.

Cody Bellinger’s value has skyrocketed after his fantastic 2023. The Cubs can afford him but there is a slight catch here. Still, is there a way Bellinger can make a comeback to the team that turned things around for him?

The payroll of the Chicago Cubs can make it tough to get Cody Bellinger

Recently The Athletic posted an article where they noted the challenges that the Cubs can face if they want to pursue Bellinger. The biggest hurdle according to them is their payroll. The Cubs have been coy about how much they are willing to spend. It’s expected that they are not much interested in crossing the tax threshold this year. Even if they loved having Bellinger last year, his current costs are just too high.

Scott Boras has a reputation for acquiring the best deal for his client. While experts believe Bellinger’s contract can be in the vicinity of $120 to $140 million and can go even higher. The Cubs aren’t ready to splash this much on him especially when they’re also after the two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani currently.

But then the publication raised an interesting scenario. They said, “What if this drags on and Boras doesn’t find a team willing to meet his initial price? Then perhaps a return to the Cubs on a contract Hoyer finds much more to his liking becomes possible”.

Read more: Bellinger and Soto? Could the Yankees Acquire Both as Their Shared Super Agent Vies for Massive Contracts?

This could lead to an interesting situation as then the North Siders would have all the chips in their hand. However, a significant concern arises from uncertainties surrounding Bellinger’s long-term potential, leading to a situation like this.

League still doubts Cody Love’s comeback story

Even though Bellinger slashed .307/.356/.525 but his hard hit rate was quite low. Apart from this, there are doubts over his ability to stay healthy after he spent two years dealing with various injuries. Could 2023 have been an anomaly?

There is a chance that Bellinger won’t get a long-term contract due to these challenges. Could the Cubs find a way to nab him if these problems become too much to handle for any team? That would surely be an interesting scenario. Things will become clear in a few days.

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