Following Juan Soto signing, Cody Bellinger trade now comes into focus

The prize of the offseason for Major League Baseball was Juan Soto.

The Chicago Cubs were never involved in the sweepstakes for Soto as a pursuit was all but ruled out the second that free agency opened. In recent days, the bidding for Soto passed $700MM, providing confirmation that the Cubs were never going to be among the finalists had they entertained a pursuit. While the argument can rightfully be made that the Cubs could afford that type of contract and should have been involved, the fact is they were looking at Soto's signing for a reason to begin their offseason moves in earnest.

Where the Cubs, and the rest of Major League Baseball, stand to benefit is that Soto has signed at the start of the Winter Meetings. This means that the week should be filled with a plethora of activity as teams who missed on Soto will now look elsehwere.

A Cody Bellinger may take center stage at the Winter Meetings.

Now that Soto has signed with the New York Mets, expect trade rumors involving Cody Bellinger to intensify.

There seemed to be an uptick in Bellinger's market last week with the reporting of interested teams such as the Seattle Mariners, Houston Astros, and New York Yankees.

Now that the Yankees have lost out on Soto, there is a chance they turn their attention to Bellinger. Bellinger was of interest to the Yankees at the MLB Trade Deadline in 2023. The Yankees were also believed to have checked in on Bellinger last offseason before he returned to the Cubs. Bellinger could be viewed in a similar role that the Yankees had for Anthony Rizzo--a left-handed power hitter who could play for first base. However, unlike Rizzo, the Yankees would also be receiving a Gold-Glove caliber outfielder.

Finding a match with the Yankees may not be as easy for the Cubs as the finding a match with the Mariners would have been. The Cubs' interest in Mariners' starting pitcher Luis Castillo gives insight toward what the team might be seeking for Bellinger. Short of a reunion with starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, it would seem that the Yankees' best bet would be to offer to take on a majority of the remaining money on Bellinger's contract.