Cubs fans hoping for a Cody Bellinger reunion may want to think again

Getting traded to the New York Yankees in a salary dump last winter turned out to be a great thing for Cody Bellinger. Escaping the pitcher-friendly confines of Wrigley Field, the slugger turned in a monster year in the Bronx, putting up big-time offensive numbers and setting himself up for a major payday.

On that note, it comes as no surprise that Bellinger is declining his $25 million player option for 2026 and will hit free agency this winter, well positioned to out-perform the three-year, $80 million deal he wound up settling for in his return to the Chicago Cubs ahead of the 2024 campaign.

Given Kyle Tucker's imminent departure, one might think a reunion with Bellinger makes sense, given the two players offer similar skillsets. Even though Bellinger will be a slightly-less expensive option on the open market, the Cubs and the former MVP are unlikely to come back together on a long-term pact.

A Cody Bellinger return to the Cubs seems like a long shot

For starters, the Cubs are averse to long-term deals, especially with players in their 30s. Bellinger turns 31 next summer - and he saw firsthand how the conditions at Wrigley Field could wreak havoc on player's numbers in his final go-round with the team in 2024. As the conditions shifted from hitter-friendly to pitcher-friendly from 2023 to 2024, Bellinger's numbers trended in the wrong direction. The exact opposite took place this year in Yankee Stadium, with Bellinger enjoying both a more hitter-friendly home ballpark and the short porch i

And, let's be clear. Bellinger has no intention of settling for another short-term deal. He and Scott Boras will look to parlay his big year with the Yankees into a major payday, likely his last given his age.

Even without Tucker - or Bellinger - the Cubs feel crowded in the outfield heading into 2026. Granted, Ian Happ and Seiya Suzuki are both under contract for just one more year, but you have Pete Crow-Armstrong returning on the heels of a 30-30 season and top prospect Owen Caissie looking for everyday playing time at the big-league level. That's not to mention fellow prospect Kevin Alcantara, or the limited avenues to getting Moises Ballesteros into the lineup, assuming Jed Hoyer doesn't leverage them in trade offers.

On paper, adding a near-30 homer, 100-RBI bat to the mix this winter would be a very good thing. But I have a hard time believing Bellinger is chomping at the bit to come back given how Wrigley affected hitters again this season - or that Hoyer is itching to sign Bellinger to a major deal, given he only came back after 2023 after his free agenmarket bottomed out.