One Cubs source expects Cody Bellinger trade at Winter Meetings, Jed Hoyer playing coy

Jed Hoyer provided an update on all things Chicago Cubs at the Winter Meetings on Monday, with the main takeaway being that the Cubs are at the center of most trade talks taking place this week.

As weird as it may sound, a successful Winter Meetings for the Cubs may be defined by their ability to trade Cody Bellinger. Moving Bellinger has turned into a likelihood for the Cubs this offseason, with Juan Soto's signing with the New York Mets setting the stage for a deal to take place this week.

in his latest for The Athletic, Sahadev Sharma spoke to a Cubs' source who wouldn't be surprised if Bellinger is traded this week. As expected, Sharma notes that the New York Yankees are among the teams interested in trading for Bellinger following their inability to bring Soto back. Beyond the Yankees, the Houston Astros, Texas Rangers, and Atlanta Braves has also been connected to Bellinger this offseason.

There was also speculation that the Cubs may ship Bellinger to the Seattle Mariners in exchange for starting pitcher Luis Castillo. However, it seems that the Mariners are locked onto the idea of landing Nico Hoerner.

The latest on the Cody Bellinger trade

Jed Hoyer stopped short of confirming that any deal the Cubs are currently working on would be pushed across the finish line by the time the Winter Meetings end on Thursday but that is something he has to say. Trading Bellinger is a delicate balance on the surface, Hoyer doesn't want to lose any leverage in a potential deal by saying a trade is certain to be completed within the next 24-48 hours.

One thing is here, it may no longer be a guess. It is now an expectation that Bellinger will not be in the Cubs' starting lineup by Opening Day 2025.