Cody Bellinger and Chicago Cubs Far Apart in Free Agency, Amidst Scott Boras’ Unchanging $200 Million Valuation

The contract negotiations between Cody Bellinger, his agent Scott Boras, and the Chicago Cubs are becoming as dramatic as a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. The two sides are locked in a tense standoff, with Boras demanding a king’s ransom of $200 million-plus, while the Cubs are clutching their wallets tighter than a squirrel hoarding nuts for winter. Let’s unpack this financial face-off, shall we?

After a monster 2023 season where he launched 26 homers and drove in a cool 97 RBIs, Bellinger ditched both the Cubs’ player option and qualifying offer, setting his sights on the open free agency market. Enter Scott Boras, the silver-tongued negotiator notorious for securing eye-watering contracts for his clients. This time, he’s aiming for the stratosphere, demanding a sum that has the Cubs sweating like a pitcher in the Texas heat.

However, the Cubbies are leery of committing to a long-term, eight-figure deal. The multi-year contract Boras is pitching makes them flinch, and the thought of handing over $200 million makes them want to run for the hills.

As ESPN’s Jesse Rogers stated according to a WGNTV report, “I don’t have a crystal ball. My point being is the Cubs don’t want to pay him big money,” Rogers said. “The Cubs will not change their stance, that I can tell you factually. They are not going to go up, it would take Boras going down.” Moroever, Jeff Passan echoes the sentiment: “I think with Bellinger, they don’t want to go seven or eight years. They don’t want to go 200-plus-million dollars.”

So, is Boras just playing hardball, hoping to squeeze more moolah out of the Cubs? Or is he truly prepared to walk away if his demands aren’t met?

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Cody Bellinger’s Alternatives 

The superagent does have other talented clients on the market, like the versatile Matt Chapman and the Cy Young-winning Blake Snell. Could one of them be a more budget-friendly option for the cost-conscious Cubs? ESPN’s Jeff Passan seems to think so, hinting that the Cubs might “sign one of the four Boras guys,” just not necessarily the one everyone expects.

With pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training on February 14th, the clock is ticking for both sides. Will the Cubs crack and offer Cody Bellinger the big bucks? Will Boras loosen his grip on his asking price? Or will Bellinger end up playing a different tune for a different team, leaving Cubs fans with a chorus of “what-ifs”? 

This contract saga is far from over. It certainly looks like the future of Cody Bellinger and the Chicago Cubs is being written one swing of the bat, one negotiation at a time.

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