Cody Bellinger Free Agency Update: Insider reveals 2 teams most likely to land star slugger

Former NL MVP Cody Bellinger has declined the option to extend his contract with the Chicago Cubs and entered free agency in the hopes of cashing in at the end of an impressive season in the MLB. The left-handed slugger was once considered one of the best hitters in the league but went through two back-to-back seasons of disappointment, which saw him non-tendered at the end of 2022. He has since rediscovered his form.

MLB insider Jon Heyman believes that it will be a two-horse race between the Cubs and the Toronto Blue Jays to land Bellinger. The Cubs remain the favorites to re-sign him, but are expected to receive strong competition from the Blue Jays.

MLB insider Jon Heyman said:

"The Cubs for me make perfect sense. I know he loved it there... I think Toronto will be in there for Bellinger. Those are the two most likely teams at this point."

Cody Bellinger was selected by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 2013 MLB Draft and went on to make his major league debut for them in 2017 after four years in the minors. He started his major league career on a high, winning the Rookie of the Year and making the All-Star.

He then went on to win the NLCS MVP and NL MVP in the following years, while also helping to Dodgers win the World Series in 2020. However, Bellinger had two underwhelming seasons in 2021 and 2022 which saw him non-tendered by the LA side.

While most of the MLB world had written off Bellinger by the end of 2022, the Chicago Cubs decided to take a chance on him, which has already paid off exponentially. His renaissance in 2023 saw him slash .307/.356/.525 with 26 home runs and 97 RBIs.

Can the Blue Jays snap up Cody Bellinger?

The Toronto Blue Jays have made it clear that they are on the lookout for a proven left-handed bat to bolster their lineup for the 2023 MLB season. Having missed out on Shohei Ohtani and Juan Soto, they are now believed to be making a strong push to sign Cody Bellinger.

However, it may not be an easy task as the slugger had a great season with the Chicago Cubs, who remain interested in signing him and are the favorites to achieve it this year.