3 Cody Bellinger landing spots on doomsday that would haunt the Cubs

The Chicago Cubs‘ offseason largely depends on Cody Bellinger’s free agency decision. He can sign for $27.5 million next season, or he can opt out of his current contract in search of more long-term stability. If Bellinger chooses the latter route, the Cubs will be in a difficult position. Chicago isn’t usually a team that burns a lot of money on its stars.

So let’s imagine for a moment a world in which Bellinger leaves Chicago. That puts the Cubs offense in a dire situation. Chicago has already struggled to generate consistent production from the heart of its lineup. Isaac Paredes was expected to help, but he couldn’t find the holes at Wrigley Field. Dansby Swanson hasn’t hit well in forever. Pete Crow-Armstrong, for all his dynamic talent, still hasn’t fully broken out on record.

The Cubs sans Bellinger are a dramatically worse team. There are options to replace it, including a few possible upgradesbut most Chicago fans love Belli Bombs and everything the former MVP stands for. Losing him would be tough. It would be especially difficult if he were to leave Chicago for one of these destinations.

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It’s time for the Pittsburgh Pirates to spend money and win games in fear of Livvy Dunne frustrations pile up. The Pirates definitely have a winning formula with Paul Skenes, Jared Jones and an electric starting rotation. Now it’s time to boost the offense.

Pittsburgh has some good sluggers in Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz, but this was arguably the worst offensive team in the National League last season. On several occasions, Skenes put in a dazzling performance, but the Pirates took the lead due to lackluster support. Pittsburgh has other holes to fill, especially in the bullpen, but a few star bats would dramatically change this organization.

It’s unlike the Pirates to make a serious long-term offer for a star of Bellinger’s caliber, but with the clock ticking on Skenes – we know he won’t re-sign at the end of his rookie contract – the Pirates have a clear directive to win as much as possible before their Cy Young candidate runs away. Bellinger would give the Pirates a much-needed veteran presence, postseason experience and a disciplined bat. His slugging numbers dipped last season, but Bellinger still belted 18 home runs while hitting extra base hits regularly.

This would obviously keep Bellinger in the NL Central, facing Chicago in what is sure to be a heated race for the division crown. Cubs fans don’t want to protest Bellinger so directly, but a move to Pittsburgh would leave them no choice.

The Philadelphia Phillies were the best team in baseball for much of last season, and there’s no reason to think Philly can’t recapture some of that magic in 2025. The playoffs didn’t go according to plan, but the talent on that roster stacks up with all the team. Dave Dombrowski usually doesn’t take shortcuts. He is very interested in improving his squad when the right opportunities arise.

We can safely leave Juan Soto off the list of possible Phillies free agent additions, but Bellinger is one realistic backup plan. He won’t impact Philadelphia’s top scoring as dramatically and he addresses an ongoing need in the outfield. The Phillies have struggled to find consistent bats in left and center; Bellinger can obviously hit, but he’s also a positive defender at any outfield position. The Phillies are short on two-way stars.

Bellinger would take Philadelphia to the next level and potentially position the Phillies as favorites to emerge from National League contention, which is bad enough for the Cubs, who have postseason aspirations of their own. However, it would be even more painful to see Bellinger team up with another beloved former Cub in Kyle Schwarber. There would be many memories, and any success Schwarber and Bellinger would experience together would raise the age-old question: “what if.”

If Bellinger leaves Chicago, the Cubs generally hope it’s for an American League team. Ideally one without a lot of baggage, like the Mariners. But if it’s this next team, it will also create a bad atmosphere in the Windy City.

This storyline is so tired. How many good players have left their team for more money and the prestige of New York Yankees baseball? Cody Bellinger would certainly fill a need for New York, whose outfield depth chart will become very spotty once Juan Soto hits free agency. But these kinds of results are simply worthless. In any case, choose a more interesting, esoteric destination.

The Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo to Chicago in 2021. We’ve seen what happens when a beloved Chicago slugger ends up in a Yankees uniform. It hasn’t been the easiest of sailing for Rizzo in New York, but he’s still a fan favorite in Chicago. Bellinger hasn’t built the same goodwill, but there would be a real sense of disappointment if he ends up in the Bronx and touts his new $150 million-plus contract in pinstripes.

Marcus Stroman left the Cubs for the Yankees a year ago. His departure was a little more mutual, but it set the stage for a much bigger poaching job in New York in Chicago. Bellinger hitting baseballs in front of Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton is good for business. The discipline and clutch gene that defines Bellinger’s approach would be extremely beneficial to a weak Yankees offense, especially if Soto packs up and goes.

The Cubs should just re-sign Bellinger and be done with it, but if the price rises too high, Chicago will let him go. Whether it’s New York, Philly, Pittsburgh or some other more mysterious suitor, it’s hard to imagine fans will be excited about his departure.