Why Is Cody Bellinger’s Prolonged Free Agency Stalling, Despite Cubs and Blue Jays’ Noted Interest?

The ongoing MLB off-season has been slow from the get-go. Marquee free agents have taken their time to meet with teams and make relaxed decisions. Cody Bellinger is one such free agent, with a surprisingly slow winter despite the lack of superstar position players.

Bellinger could very well be the biggest position player left on the board and one of the bigger names in general. Following an epic comeback season in 2023, he looks set to embark on his next chapter. But a deal may yet take some time as his prolonged decision continues to take its course. 

Cody Bellinger sweepstakes have been remarkably slow 

Despite immense interest from the Toronto Blue Jays and Chicago Cubs, Cody Bellinger’s free agency has been excruciatingly slow. Bellinger being one of the best hitters and all-around versatile players left on the market makes this lack of progress even more confounding. But the lefty star’s super agent, Scott Boras, is known for his affinity to wait out the market and secure the best deal possible. This has seemingly caused talks surrounding the former Cubs and Dodgers superstar to slow down. Furthermore, Bellinger’s off-season was always going to be a unique one, with so much in question about a potential deal. 

In 2023, the star slugger had a comeback season, earning a Silver Slugger while also finishing top-10 in MVP voting. Furthermore, Cody Bellinger also took home NL Comeback Player of the Year, capping a great season overall. But this came after a span of 3 difficult campaigns with the Dodgers where he struggled between 2020-2022. 

This comeback makes Bellinger’s free agency a bit more complicated as he could ask for a larger deal. His demands could be further amplified by the lack of other top options. The lefty superstar’s free agency will likely take a few weeks to develop at the least, but no concrete timeline has been established yet as his price tag increases to $300 million, according to Cubs Insider.

Bellinger’s price tag may be causing his prolonged free agency

The latest reports state that Cody Bellinger is looking for a contract more than $200 million. This could reach $300 million, due to his versatility and overall star power. Which may be one reason that he has not signed a deal yet, with teams possibly hesitating to invest that much money in Bellinger. Having struggled for 3 years before 2023, it may put doubt into teams’ minds over such a large commitment. 

Read More: Back to the North Side? Is Cody Bellinger’s Super Agent Scott Boras Pushing for a Cubs Reunion?

But in a thin free agency market, Cody Bellinger and his super agent Scott Boras will wait for the best deal possible. When do you think he will ink his latest contract, and is he worth $300 million? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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