Cody Bellinger’s comeback story has been wild! After his championship and MVP-winning days with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Bellinger had suddenly hit a wall at a point. The last few seasons in Los Angeles were rough for him, but then came 2023 and a fresh start with the Chicago Cubs—a one-year prove-it-all deal—and he crushed it! Bellinger slashed. 307/.356/.525 with 26 homers and a 139 OPS+, back to the form everyone knew and loved.

The Chicago Cubs were, of course, bowled over and re-signed him for 2024. Plus, they gave Cody Bellinger a sweet player option for 2025 and 2026; but now, the same team wants to trade him. After all, they just got Kyle Tucker to the lineup and need to reduce payrolls. So, the question is, where would Bellinger go? The Houston Astros are a potential spot, but there is a catch—Bellinger’s got history with the team; remember when he was a Dodger and the cheating scandal of the Astros was brought to light?

Cody Bellinger to the Astros is not a realistic dream

While the Houston Astros could be a great spot for Bellinger, his past fiery comments have been again brought to light. He didn’t mince words and accused the Astros of robbing the Dodgers of a World Series title in 2017. Cody Bellinger, according to ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez, said, “Those guys were cheating for three years. I think what people don’t realize is [Jose] Altuve stole an MVP from [Aaron] Judge in 2017. Everyone knows they stole the ring from us. But it’s over.” But that’s not just all; he took it personally.

Cody Bellinger mentioned, “I lost respect for those guys. I would say everyone in The Show, in the big leagues, lost respect for those guys.” Given these were his thoughts on the Houston Astros, it’s difficult to imagine he would suit up with their uniform. According to ESPN’s Jesse Rogers, Houston is also not interested in trading for Cody Bellinger because of his past remarks.

“I’m hearing weird things that Houston won’t trade for Bellinger because of what he said about the cheating scandal seven years ago,” Rogers reported. Well, the Houston Astros sure would be missing a piece if they don’t pursue Bellinger, but a partnership, at least right now, seems unlikely, unless both bury the hatchet.

If not Houston, then where?

Jon Heyman mentioned that the Cody Bellinger deal will be done in a day or so, and he would be mildly surprised if the New York Yankees don’t get it done. This makes sense; Bellinger has a powerful bat; plus, the Yankees have lost not just Juan Soto but also their next big target, Kyle Tucker, so, they could go all in for him. Cody is a lefty-hitting first baseman and center fielder who can fill in many positions. However, there is one hiccup, and it’s the financial aspects again.

Jon Heyman noted, “The hang-up was about money, with the Cubs asking the Yankees to take on nearly the full $52.5M Bellinger’s due over the next couple of years, and the Yankees expecting more cash coming back.” According to Heyman, both teams have made some progress on Wednesday, but the sticking point is still money. Cody Bellinger re-signed with the Chicago Cubs on a three-year, $80 million deal—that contract has a $27.5 million player option for 2025 and $25 million for 2026.

This makes Cody a rather expensive player, and hence, it’s no surprise that the Cubs would like to offload his salary. But the Yankees want relief, more so because Cody’s number has dipped this year. What’s your take on Cody Bellinger in pinstripes? Share below.