Cody Bellinger Signing: Cubs' 'bridge contract' to set precedent for Scott Boras' remaining clients amid uncertain market, per insider

After months of waiting, Cody Bellinger finally signed for less than he was expected to. Spring Training had already begun, and Bellinger signed for $20 million AAV and $80 million total. This "bridge contract" as it has been dubbed, might have ramifications throughout the free agent market, especially on Scott Boras' other clients.

Cody Bellinger was expected to get $200 million on a deal. Superstars, and especially those coming off seasons like the one Bellinger had, often get mega deals, but not Bellinger.

The Chicago Cubs inked him for three years and $80 million, both less than expected. It's not what he or Boras wanted, and it is more in line with what the team wanted.

This has the potential to directly impact Boras' remaining clients and could change free agency forever, according to MLB insider Ken Rosenthal.

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Cody Bellinger's contract signals win for teams, loss for Scott Boras

There has been an interesting back and forth this season. Despite them being among the four most notable and best free agents on the market, pretty much everyone else signed before Cody Bellinger, Blake Snell, Matt Chapman and Jordan Montgomery, the latter three of which still haven't signed.

Cody Bellinger landed a bridge deal

In the past, Scott Boras got his clients excellent deals quickly. This year, it's been a long, drawn-out process that has resulted in one contract that's much smaller than ever anticipated.

Rosenthal said via The Athletic:

"And now that the first of the Boras Four, Cody Bellinger, has reached agreement on a lesser contract than expected, it might only embolden the teams pursuing Boras’ other top free-agent clients to hold the line."

The teams currently considering Chapman, Snell and Montgomery can only feel like they now have the upper hand in any negotiations. For example, the New York Yankees offered Snell a deal for a lot less than he was asking.

He rejected it and they have since come back with a new offer, but still not to the asking price. With a Boras client settling for a bridge contract, Snell might be forced to do the same. They reportedly were considering a short-term deal with high AAV, and that may be Snell's only option.

The same could ring true for Chapman and Montgomery as teams continue to push back against Boras' mega contracts.