"I popped up so fast, thinking my wife's calling" - Dansby Swanson explains decision to hang up on Cody Bellinger following his Cubs return

Cody Bellinger put pen to paper on a deal with the Chicago Cubs on Feb. 27 and reports of the same surfaced across media channels in the later hours of the day.

Bellinger signed a three-year, $80 million deal that leaves room for him to opt-out after the two primary years, thereby allowing him to explore the free agency waters if he wants to after the 2024 and 2025 seasons.

Cody Bellinger decided to ring up his mate, Dansby Swanson, right after inking the deal. Swanson was oblivious to the happenings. Therefore, when he was expecting a call from his wife, Mallory Pugh Swanson, but saw it was Bellinger who was calling, he decided to hang up on him and send him straight to voicemail.

Talking about the same on MLB Network Radio, Swanson said:

“I popped up so fast, thinking my wife’s calling, something’s up and I look and see Belli and I was like, ‘You gotta be kidding me, no, I’m not talking to you.’”

Swanson, however, did emphasize how important a signing Bellinger was for the Cubs.

When he learned about Bellinger's deal the next morning, he was more than happy as he was looking forward to having him back on the team. Swanson added:

“I love that guy. I’m so grateful that he’s back. Just who he is, how he goes about it, it just makes our group so much better. Not only on the field but just in the clubhouse. There’s so many things he does that people will never see or know. Just a tremendous guy.”

The addition of Cody Bellinger makes Cubs a serious contender

Cody Bellinger was the Cubs’ standout performer in 2023. Without the slugger, the Cubs were merely averaging 3.9 runs per game. With Bellinger, the Cubs averaged 5.3 per game.

Bellinger registered 26 home runs along with 97 RBIs across 130 games during the 2023 season. He slashed .307 while recording a .881 OPS. It goes without saying that the slugger adds a lot of quality to the Cubs roster. It is expected that the Cubs will position Bellinger in center field for most of the 2024 season.

Cody Bellinger’s stretched out free agency might not have yielded the contract he was hoping for, but he has the option to explore his options again next offseason, should he opt out.