Jed Hoyer Knew What he was Doing after All
The Bellinger signing looks like a good deal all the way around.
Cubs' fans woke up to the news that the team had signed Cody Bellinger to a three-year contract. The contract calls for $30 million for the next two seasons, $20 million for the 2026 season, with opt out after the 2024 and 2025 seasons. The Cubs get some immediate help for the 024 season, and Bellinger gets a chance to go back into free agency after the 2024 season.
If seems like a case of the sides meeting in the middle.
Maybe the Cubs aren’t cheap, just frugal
Many Cubs fans were deriding Jed Hoyer for not caving in to Bellinger and Scott Boras’ demands. As a fan, I found myself vacillating as to what the Cubs should do. At one point I called for the Cubs to offer Bellinger a seven-year deal at $30 million a year. Jed did better.
I admit that as time when on, I was becoming resigned to the idea of the Cubs not bringing Bellinger back. While I think the Cubs could have competed without Bellinger, I like their chances much better with him.
A few possible factors in the signings
If Hoyer was bluffing about the possibility of not bringing Bellinger back, it was a convincing bluff. Trading for Michael Busch…
