Chicago Cubs’ Youth Push to Impact Superstar Signings? Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman’s Recruitment Impacted

Creating a disciplined path isn’t difficult. Anyone can do it. But walking on that path? Oh, that’s where the discipline plays a role. The Chicago Cubs President Jed Hoyer has found himself in that position. Until now, he was carefully laying a disciplined road to success, working for the future, and strengthening the farm. But all of that has led him to make a choice – does he take a chance on the young guns or does he go for proven bats like Cody Bellinger and Matt Chapman?

The Cubs have been diligent in their approach to Bellinger. Despite wanting the slugger, they’ve not budged on their preferred pricing. One reason for this is the rich depth that the North Siders enjoy through their prospects. While this is a difficult situation for Hoyer, things aren’t much better for Bellinger and Chapman as well.

Opportunities for youth, a disaster for Cody Bellinger?

When the Cubs traded Michael Busch from the LA Dodgers, they were clear right from the beginning that he wouldn’t be blocked like he was in Los Angeles. This created an interesting situation as Busch plays in the same position as Bellinger, so in a way, the Cubbies had gotten their fallback option for Bellinger. But that could very well become the first choice if things go the way Hoyer prefers.

Cubbies Crib recently talked about a situation that could trouble the potential deals of Bellinger and Chapman. “Part of the reason for Hoyer’s unwillingness to meet Boras’ asking price, aside from knowing what he’s doing, is that the Cubs have several top prospects they don’t want to block from a path to the majors,” said the writer. 

The emergence of Pete Crow-Armstrong and Matt Shaw along with Michael Busch has put the Cubs in a pickle. Do they invest in these players or get Bellinger and Chapman? Armstrong and Busch play in Bellinger’s position and Shaw plays in Chapman’s. Signing one would block another’s growth and that’s a giant issue for the Scott Boras clients.

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Hoyer has a well-known preference for youth and he wouldn’t bat an eye in choosing them over others if he finds it more beneficial. So things look shaky for Bellinger but it’s Chapman who has more to worry about. 

The dilemma of the Chicago Cubs 

Cody Love is extremely versatile and so is Michael Busch. So finding a way to balance Busch, Crow-Armstrong, and Bellinger wouldn’t be very difficult. The real struggle is between Chapman and Shaw. The latter plays in third base simply because his primary position as a Shortstop is filled by Dansby Swanson. So shifting Shaw again could hinder his growth, and that’s something that the Cubbies wouldn’t want.

This makes things difficult for Chapman. His deal hinges on the choice that Jed Hoyer makes and one never knows what goes inside the mind of the Cubs President.

Read more: Scott Boras Clients in for a Rude Awakening? Blake Snell and Cody Bellinger Face Stalled Negotiations