Cody Bellinger Deal Opens Floodgates for ‘Bridge Contracts’ With Remaining Scott Boras Free Agents

Was it too far from Scott Boras? In a surprising twist, the first from “Boras Four” to sign was Cody Bellinger. However, the deal he signed (3 years for $80 million) was much smaller than initial projections (between $140 and $200 million). While opt-outs have ensured that Bellinger will get another chance to have a go in the market, his deal has raised an important question – will the free agencies of Blake Snell and the rest have a similar fate?

The super agent who is famous for extracting mega deals has been a little subdued in this offseason. On top of that, his high contract expectations have made dealing with his clients a little difficult. So now that the Chicago Cubs and its president Jed Hoyer have shown everyone the way, there’s a growing speculation that other executives too might follow suit.

The expected impact of the Cody Bellinger deal 

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently speculated how the Cody Bellinger deal can impact other clients of Boras. In his words, now that Bellinger has signed a short-term contract, “it would not be surprising for Snell, Montgomery and Chapman to settle for similar “bridge” contracts.” The reasons were pretty simple – teams aren’t ready to budge this time for Scott Boras.

Blame the slow market or him overpricing his clients, but there have just been no takers for what Boras was selling this offseason. Take the example of Cody Bellinger – he was coming off a huge comeback season. He was voted 10th for MVP and won the NL Comeback Player of the Year award. Despite this, his market looked dry throughout this offseason.

It was partly because of his subpar 2020-2022 and partly due to the alleged unsustainability of his comeback. So what was supposed to be Bellinger’s crowning moment became a temporary adjustment. Now he’ll have to prove himself all over again before he re-enters the market. The thing is, the story is the same for other Boras clients.

Read more: Breaking Down Cody Bellinger’s Injury Troubles That Scared Off Long-Term Bids

Blake Snell and the others find themselves at crossroads

Blake Snell won the Cy Young award but has no serious takers yet, similar is the case with Matt Chapman. There were already speculations that Blake Snell might go for a short-term deal. While initially it seemed absurd, after the Bellinger deal, it has become a distinct possibility.

Just like Jed Hoyer, no other executives are ready to pay the enormous price for the current Boras clients. The San Francisco Giants (who has links with both) might have smelt blood after the Bellinger deal as Farhan Zaidi hasn’t budged in his stance.

This Bellinger deal could’ve shown many teams that’s there a hole in Scott Boras’ armor. After years of getting beaten by the superagent in negotiations, perhaps teams are ruing this opportunity to get a win over him.

Read more: Reputed Insider Rules Yankees Out on Blake Snell, Cost Doubles Due to Payroll Problems