Chicago Cubs in Trouble With Star Infielder? Stalled Cody Bellinger Talks Highlight Underwhelming Off-Season

The thing with procrastination is that there are a lot of side effects. Some effects aren’t even visible until a long time later. The Chicago Cubs might have to witness some of those side effects soon. Their pursuit of Cody Bellinger has gone on for far too long, and it has certainly lost a lot of its luster. However, as of now, there’s another important issue arising for the North Siders and it’s related to their star infielder – Dansby Swanson. 

When Swanson signed that 7-year, $177 million deal last season, he knew he was stepping into a long-term project. The Cubs had convinced him that there was light at the end of this tunnel. But with Swanson openly declaring his desire to bring back Bellinger, could this inability of the Cubbies prove disastrous for their relationship with the slugger?

The continuing struggle between the Chicago Cubs and Cody Bellinger

It isn’t every day that a team faces such a dilemma as the Cubs. On one hand, President Jed Hoyer is trying to create a team on a low budget. On the other hand, this is the fourth year of their rebuild, and fans are calling for more investments now. But the frugal ways of Hoyer know no bounds, even after his team’s central star has made his wishes known. Now Dansby Swanson has opined what he feels about the current situation. 

“Expectations are so hard, when it’s based all around one thing, if it doesn’t happen, does that really make it a failure?” Swanson said, as reported by The Athletic. The slugger then talked about Bellinger as well: “Belli is his own man…It’s his decision. Nobody here is putting pressure on him.” Swanson then went on to praise Cody Love and express his happiness that he got to play with him last season.

While Swanson gave quite a reasonable answer, one couldn’t help but wonder if this long discussion has dampened some spirits in the Cubs clubhouse. By all evidence, Cody Bellinger was hugely popular on the team, and his presence did elevate the performance of the North Siders. One could imagine there’s a feeling of unfinished business inside the Chi-Town squad. 

But as of now, those feelings haven’t translated into a deal. In fact, the staredown between Jed Hoyer and Scott Boras has grown more intense with time.

An intense showdown is about to begin 

The Cubs haven’t budged from their stance with regards to Bellinger. They want him, but not at the cost decided by Scott Boras. The recent reports of Boras approaching the owner, Tom Ricketts, have shown that the extraordinary agent might be getting a little desperate. The biggest revelation from Ricketts, however, was that the Cubs and Boras haven’t even started negotiations yet. 

Read more: Billionaire Cubs Owner and Scott Boras Exchange Words, Cody Bellinger Sweepstakes Fire up Amidst Prolonged Negotiations

So with Spring Training gathering pace, one could imagine a showdown is right around the corner. With no major competitor in sight, the Cubs still hold a lot of cards in this battle of wits. But can they win?

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