Cody Bellinger Traded to the Yankees

[ravensgc_5]

Straight salary dump for Chicago. Absolutely crazy they couldn't have gotten at least a top 20 prospect, especially paying $5 mil of Bellinger's contract.

[splitrockgamer]

As someone who got back into collecting in 2017, this is awesome. Bellinger and Judge made me fall back in love with collecting!

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by ravensgc_5

Straight salary dump for Chicago. Absolutely crazy they couldn't have gotten at least a top 20 prospect, especially paying $5 mil of Bellinger's contract.

The fact that the Cubs, a large-market team, are dumping salary tells you all you need to know about how screwed up MLB is......

[redauto5]

Originally Posted by ravensgc_5

Straight salary dump for Chicago. Absolutely crazy they couldn't have gotten at least a top 20 prospect, especially paying $5 mil of Bellinger's contract.

$5 million over 2 years so $2.5 million a year. Is Cody worth more than $25 million a year? I would say no, the version of him last year was worth less so expecting a good prospect out of the deal is too much. Cashman was pushing the Cubs to pay more than $5 million, from what I've heard the Cubs didn't blink and Cashman paid more than he wanted. Win for the Cubbies and the Yankees as well as Bellinger should hit well in his home park and it's a big defensive upgrade too, allowing Judge to move off CF which is worth a lot lol.

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[Hollywood42]

This is largely my point on this. I get the Cubs have some other outfielders, especially after Tucker, granted you can make some arguments like Suzuki should really only be a DH and PCA might not be able to hit for jack. But besides that, there is no reason the Cubs of all teams should be salary dumping. Their offseason strategy has just been strange to me

Originally Posted by mfw13

The fact that the Cubs, a large-market team, are dumping salary tells you all you need to know about how screwed up MLB is......

[vintg]

Originally Posted by ravensgc_5

Straight salary dump for Chicago. Absolutely crazy they couldn't have gotten at least a top 20 prospect, especially paying $5 mil of Bellinger's contract.

100% correct

[vintg]

the cubs will "re-deploy" the money on a closer

and "maybe" another" SP

[redauto5]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

This is largely my point on this. I get the Cubs have some other outfielders, especially after Tucker, granted you can make some arguments like Suzuki should really only be a DH and PCA might not be able to hit for jack. But besides that, there is no reason the Cubs of all teams should be salary dumping. Their offseason strategy has just been strange to me

Happ has a full no trade clause, hit better than Bellinger last year and is making $7 million less this year. PCA is 22, a premier defender and is under team control for like 5 more years. It's assumed his stick will progress but granted it's a risk. Suzuki is making maybe $10 million a year less than Bellinger and is certainly a better hitter, and I agree he should primarily DH and spell Happ, PCA and Tucker in the OF sometimes. Busch is making $800k next year, has lots of team control left and hit just as well as Bellinger last year.

So I ask you, where does Bellinger and his $27 million fit? The Cubs are going to take that money and buy more pitching, primarily bullpen help. $25 million goes a long way in the bullpen and the Cubs don't need Bellinger.

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[rms13]

Originally Posted by mfw13

The fact that the Cubs, a large-market team, are dumping salary tells you all you need to know about how screwed up MLB is......

Or my team the Red Sox who can't compete for any free agents. The only real big market teams left are the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets.

[StateEx]

Originally Posted by redauto5

Happ has a full no trade clause, hit better than Bellinger last year and is making $7 million less this year. PCA is 22, a premier defender and is under team control for like 5 more years. It's assumed his stick will progress but granted it's a risk. Suzuki is making maybe $10 million a year less than Bellinger and is certainly a better hitter, and I agree he should primarily DH and spell Happ, PCA and Tucker in the OF sometimes. Busch is making $800k next year, has lots of team control left and hit just as well as Bellinger last year.

So I ask you, where does Bellinger and his $27 million fit? The Cubs are going to take that money and buy more pitching, primarily bullpen help. $25 million goes a long way in the bullpen and the Cubs don't need Bellinger.

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This seems spot on. I like the trade for both teams.

[Hollywood42]

I think there's a reasonable strategy in there to not rely so much on the unproven guys to contribute while holding onto Belli, and still adding another $20M in payroll to address pitching. Again, they're a huge market team - act like it. It's not necessarily the plan itself of dumping Belli to reallocate, but rather the urgency it seems to have for them instead of just adding another $20M that they could easily handle

Originally Posted by redauto5

Happ has a full no trade clause, hit better than Bellinger last year and is making $7 million less this year. PCA is 22, a premier defender and is under team control for like 5 more years. It's assumed his stick will progress but granted it's a risk. Suzuki is making maybe $10 million a year less than Bellinger and is certainly a better hitter, and I agree he should primarily DH and spell Happ, PCA and Tucker in the OF sometimes. Busch is making $800k next year, has lots of team control left and hit just as well as Bellinger last year.

So I ask you, where does Bellinger and his $27 million fit? The Cubs are going to take that money and buy more pitching, primarily bullpen help. $25 million goes a long way in the bullpen and the Cubs don't need Bellinger.

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[atk825]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

I think there's a reasonable strategy in there to not rely so much on the unproven guys to contribute while holding onto Belli, and still adding another $20M in payroll to address pitching. Again, they're a huge market team - act like it. It's not necessarily the plan itself of dumping Belli to reallocate, but rather the urgency it seems to have for them instead of just adding another $20M that they could easily handle

Bellinger isn't that great, is probably at the ceiling of his value right now and he had nowhere to play in Chicago. That he was good enough for a team to eat 90% of his salary means he had to go.

[mfw13]

Originally Posted by rms13

Or my team the Red Sox who can't compete for any free agents. The only real big market teams left are the Dodgers, Yankees and Mets.

The Red Sox can complete financially....they just choose not to....John Henry is plenty rich and owns both Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The writing on the wall was when they traded Mookie Betts instead of re-signing him.

[base set]

Not sure what you mean about 90%. Cubs are paying NYY $5 Million; Yankees pay him $25 Million. Possible team buyout of his player option next year clouds the calculations some.

Maybe the Cubs TV network isn’t bringing in the revenue they figured, would be a guess on their strategery.

[NYBBFAN]

A .751 OPS hitter (2024) who will likely be assigned to a traditional power hitter position like 1B or CF. Wonderful.

[redauto5]

Originally Posted by base set

Not sure what you mean about 90%. Cubs are paying NYY $5 Million; Yankees pay him $25 Million. Possible team buyout of his player option next year clouds the calculations some.

Maybe the Cubs TV network isn’t bringing in the revenue they figured, would be a guess on their strategery.

It's $2.5 million a year for 2 years, so yes it's 10% even if Bellinger opts out next year as the Cubs are paying out over 2 years. If Bellinger opts out the Yankees will just have to get another similar player like him at similar cost, so same deal.

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[redauto5]

Originally Posted by NYBBFAN

A .751 OPS hitter (2024) who will likely be assigned to a traditional power hitter position like 1B or CF. Wonderful.

Exactly. Cody Bellinger still carries quite the name apparently even though he has sucked for half his career, been ok to pretty good for most of the other half and was great for 1 year.

Hell, his rookies are still fetching Kyle Tucker prices LOL. And the Cubs just dumped his $27 million contract while King Tuck is going to sign for at least $400 million next year. This hobby is so strange.

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[eye4talent]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

I just don't understand why the Cubs are salary dumping like a small market team. I don't think anyone things Belli will get back to 2023 again, but 2024 Belli is still a good solid player and the Cubs still certainly need those

It’s more of a bad-contract dump. They brought in Tucker, who’s better. And while they only control Tucker for one year, they’d probably rather see if they could woo him for the long-term rather than hang with Bellinger for two more years.

Plus, Michael Busch is cheap and adequate at first base, while top prospect Matt Shaw is likely taking over third.

I’m not a Cubs cheerleader, but this seems like their best plan in a while.


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[redauto5]

Originally Posted by Hollywood42

I think there's a reasonable strategy in there to not rely so much on the unproven guys to contribute while holding onto Belli, and still adding another $20M in payroll to address pitching. Again, they're a huge market team - act like it. It's not necessarily the plan itself of dumping Belli to reallocate, but rather the urgency it seems to have for them instead of just adding another $20M that they could easily handle

I hear ya, it would seem to be a reasonable strategy to hang on to talent like that for a big market team and just figure it out.

I do think however that there is something very particular happening with the Cubs right now. They boneheadledly spent $100k over the cap last year and 2 years in a row is a significantly higher penalty. So my guess is the plan is to stay under the cap no matter what this year to erase that mistake, and then go hard in 2026 if they see the opportunity to win in their current window. That probably includes trying to retain Kyle Tucker either in FA or with an extension.

The organization wants to maximize optimization of talent this year to show Kyle they are serious about winning and have what it takes as far as veteran presence and up and coming talent to have a wide open winning window for half a decade at least, to entice Kyle to stay. That necessitates trading away Bellinger and creating $25 million for pitching, adding to the $25 million they've already got under the cap this year to create $40-$50 million of spending runway in extremely targeted areas for the win now pitch as well as room for Tuckers own contract. And "oh yeah Kyle, we still have a top 5 farm system to draw off of".

Pretty good pitch I would say, from a franchise with so much history and legacy. And, as you say, money.

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[JWBlue]

Originally Posted by mfw13

The fact that the Cubs, a large-market team, are dumping salary tells you all you need to know about how screwed up MLB is......

I don't get it either. WTF?

[JWBlue]

Who is the Cubs 1B? A position Belli plays well.

[redauto5]

Originally Posted by JWBlue

Who is the Cubs 1B? A position Belli plays well.

Michael Busch: .775 OPS and 2.8 WAR last year, "gold glove caliber defense at 1b" according to the GM, making $800k next year, arbitration eligible 2027 free agent 2030.

Vs:

Cody Bellinger: .751 OPS and 2.2 WAR last year, yep he plays a great first base as well. Making $27.5 million next year, $2.5 million of which is paid by the Cubs.

I'll take Busch.

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[jmarascojr]

So supposedly Bellinger's wife is one of Giancarlo Stanton's ex girlfriends/FWBs, that should make for some interesting chatter in the clubhouse

[rms13]

Originally Posted by mfw13

The Red Sox can complete financially....they just choose not to....John Henry is plenty rich and owns both Liverpool FC and the Pittsburgh Penguins.



The writing on the wall was when they traded Mookie Betts instead of re-signing him.

They own a lot more then Sox, Penguins and Liverpool. And that is the problem. It's a corporation that the Sox are a small piece of and they need to spread money and make profit everywhere. They have money to sign players but that will effect the other parts of their business. And Henry knows all he had to do was win one World Series and they've won 4 so they don't really have to do anything ever again in his mind. They have done a nice job fixing the farm system but they seem content on building from farm system and with low to mid level free agents. The last big name free agent they signed was JD Martinez in 2018 or Trevor Story in 2022 depending on your opinion of him.

[atk825]

Originally Posted by base set

Not sure what you mean about 90%. Cubs are paying NYY $5 Million; Yankees pay him $25 Million. Possible team buyout of his player option next year clouds the calculations some.

Maybe the Cubs TV network isn’t bringing in the revenue they figured, would be a guess on their strategery.

2026 is a player option. So unless Cody has a year that would prompt him to opt out, the Yankees are on the hook for $45M.