Cubs Owner Provides An Upsetting Update Regarding Cody Bellinger’s Condition
When questioned about Cody Bellinger, Tom Ricketts, the owner of the Chicago Cubs, had bad news.
Officially, Spring Training has begun, but Cody Bellinger is still unsigned. After spending his 2023 season with the Chicago Cubs, the former NL MVP and two-time All-Star has been connected to the team all winter, but the parties have not yet reached an agreement on a prospective reunion.
For most of the offseason, it appeared like a matter of when rather than if the Cubs would re-sign Bellinger.
But judging on what club owner Tom Ricketts said on Monday at Spring Training, there could be more room for bargaining between the two parties than first believed.
Ricketts stated that although talks between Bellinger’s team and Chicago have taken place, they haven’t developed into substantive negotiations. In addition, he blamed Bellinger and his agent Scott Boras, claiming that the Cubs have limited options until they’re prepared to engage in negotiations.
For Cubs supporters, this is a pretty depressing update because it seems like the team isn’t even close to signing Bellinger.
Bellinger is apparently asking for a price tag that might reach $200 million, and Chicago isn’t prepared to pay that much and doesn’t appear to be willing to compromise.
The remarks made by Ricketts are quite annoying.
Negotiation requires both parties, so if the club hopes to get Bellinger to drop his price, they must be prepared to compromise and find a middle ground.
The 28-year-old slugger is one of the finest players in baseball when healthy, so his price will not be low.
What the Cubs have been up to over the past three months is another issue raised by this.
Simply waiting for his price to decrease while doing nothing? That hardly seems like a wise use of time, particularly in light of the approaching Opening Day.
Before it’s too late, Chicago must stop playing hardball and begin making genuine progress with Bellinger if they hope to compete this year.
Tyler is a die-hard Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox, having grown up in Massachusetts. He attended Tufts University and was a member of the Jumbos’ club baseball team. He has worked for Forbes, MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel, and The Game Day since graduation. In his free time, he likes to travel, run, and play fetch with his golden dog. He also writes about baseball.
