The Cubs remained one of the most active teams in the Hot Stove League, particularly in the trade market. Yesterday the other shoe dropped after they traded for Kyle Tucker OF. The takers were the Yankees who were in the market for a lefty hitting OF after losing Juan Soto OF to free agency and the Mets. Lets break it down:
Yankees get:
Cody Bellinger OF/1B:
2024: .266/.325/.426, 18 HR, 9 SB, 7.9 BB%, 15.6 K%, 569 PA, 2.2 fWAR.
Cody Bellinger's MLB career started by hitting 111 HR's in his first 3 seasons then he dropped off a cliff. While he did suffer a shoulder injury in the 2020 postseason which eventually required surgery, his production took a noticeable dropoff earlier in the COVID-delayed 2020 season. His production never fully recovered. He had a strong 2023 season after signing a 1 year contract with a player option with the Cubs hitting 26 HR's and accumulating a 4.4 fWAR. The Cubs gave him a QO and he eventually signed a 3 yr/$80 M contract before the 2024 season. 2024 marked another regression. The Cubs were rumored to be looking to trade him going into the Hot Stove League season ostensibly to reduce payroll and clear a crowded OF situation but the acquisition of Kyle Tucker OF makes it appear they just wanted out of his whole situaiton. Yankee Stadium offers a perfect environment for him to rebuild his stat sheet but this has to be tough for Yankees fans to swallow after losing out on Soto.
Cubs get:
Cody Poteet RHP:
Bellinger is owed $27.5 million in 2025 under the first of two player options as part of an $80 million, three-year contract.
ReplyDeleteLess the $5M that Cubs are sending along, $22.5M is still a hefty sum but maybe not too bad for 111 OPS+, 2.2 bWAR, 18 HRs in 560 PAs.
YtY is just as good for less than half the cost and plays Oracle's RF splendly.
Also, if Bellinger doesn't improve on that, he's owed a $25 million player option for 2026 with a $5 million buyout.
I still think that Belly is a “forever” Dodger and would hate to see him n a Giant uni.
ReplyDeleteI still think the Yanks didnt have to give up much and neither did the Cubs to get Tucker. If it is going to cost a similar haul for Josh Naylor it would be smart to just pull the trigger and get another middle of the order bat. If we sign Burnes you could argue this team is set and looks like an actual competitor. Adames was a great move and with these 2 more I could see us shocking a few folks next season.
ReplyDeleteHas rigor mortis set in?
ReplyDeleteBoris Corp may not have full control of the signing process, but, with 175 MLB clients, he can certainly bog things down as players and teams wait and see.
For a complete list of Borites, see:
https://transactions.mlbtraderumors.com/widget/player-agencies&link=true&widget=true&PA_Agency_ID=5
It's maybe not all Scott Boras fault. I read that Susan Slusser is saying the ball is in the Giants ownership court and they have to decide if they want to meet his price. It seems like that should be a quick yes/no so reading between the lines you have to wonder if there is an internal debate going on within the ownership group.
DeleteI'm also starting to think a lot of teams and agents are waiting for the Sasaki situation to resolve and that won't happen until after January 15.
DeleteMeanwhile, the Cubs made a series of moves that injected helium into their ZIPS projections.
DeleteIntrigue indeed!
DeleteMatches up with a month or so ago: cutting back, and now, on the cusp of a second B-I-G Top 5 contract!
The Ownership group is quite large, ranging from the Johnson Juggernaut at about 25% and the Posey Peanuts being a minority owner unless he's parlayed his bucks into high nine digits from a gross 12-year MLB earnings of $171,301,112 (Baseball-Reference).