Cody Bellinger signs with Cubs; could the Twins have afforded him?
The first of Minnesota Twins' dream targets in free agency is off the market as first baseman/outfielder Cody Bellinger has reportedly agreed to a three-year extension with the Chicago Cubs.
According to ESPN's Jeff Passan, Bellinger agreed to a three-year, $80 million deal to stay with Chicago after hitting .307/.356/.525 with 26 homers, 97 RBI and 20 stolen bases on a one-year deal last season.
Bellinger's payday is significant in that he is the first of four major free agents represented by Scott Boras to sign a new contract this offseason and a free agent the Twins could have used to push their roster over the top in 2024.
The Twins are entering the season in good shape but Bellinger would have solved several needs. While Byron Buxton has declared he's "back" in center field he hasn't played more than 100 games since 2017.
With the ability to also play the corners, Bellinger could have loaded the Twins outfield and provided Rocco Baldelli four bats to choose from on any given night.
Bellinger's ability to play first base could have also come in handy as the Twins will rely on Alex Kirilloff and Carlos Santana to form a platoon this season.
Kirilloff has a .259/.319/.419 batter's line with 22 home runs and 96 RBI in 640 at-bats in his career but has struggled with injuries including a shoulder injury that required a procedure this offseason.
While the addition of Santana should help, he hit .240/318/.429 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI last season and will turn 38 on Apr. 8.
But the idea of signing Bellinger was a pipe dream due to the Twins' plan to slash payroll this offseason. Minnesota's payroll has dropped from $154 million last season to $123 million this season and Executive Chair Joe Pohlad squashed the idea of an 11th-hour signing after telling WCCO's Jason DeRusha his plan to "right-size" his business earlier this week.
The idea of trimming payroll appeared to be a factor related to the lack of a TV broadcast rights deal with Bally Sports North, but that is no longer an issues as the Twins and Bally have a one-year agreement in place. It's unclear how much Bally is paying Minnesota for the rights, but it is certainly money in the bag that the Twins didn't have before.
What's more is that Bellinger's deal reportedly includes opt outs after the first year, so there is no long-term guarantee for the star outfielder's services.
It leaves Twins fans looking at Bellinger and other Boras clients wondering what if. Blake Snell or Jordan Montgomery could soften the blow of losing Sonny Gray and Kenta Maeda this offseason. Would the Twins be willing to use some of the newfound TV money to give a one-year deal to Snell or Montgomery? Would either pitcher entertain a deal of 1-3 years with opt outs after the first year?
With Bellinger getting just under $27 million per year, it would have brought the Twins back up to the $150 million range, exceeding the high-end projection of $140 million The Athletic's Dan Hayes reported back in November.
Snell, Montgomery and Chapman could follow Bellinger's lead soon and all Twins fans can do is wait and see the final price tag in the coming days.
Aug 30, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Cubs center fielder Cody Bellinger (24) signals after he hits an RBI single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the eighth inning at Wrigley Field.
Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
