3 left-handed bats the Chicago Cubs should prioritize if Cody Bellinger leaves

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All signs are currently not pointing in favor of the Chicago Cubs when it comes to bringing back fan-favorite center fielder/first baseman Cody Bellinger. Scott Boras seems to be holding firm at his high price tag and, even if it eventually drops, the Toronto Blue Jays are seen as favorites to strike first. The Cubs simply aren't that interested in overpaying for one big piece when they have so many holes.

In the scenario that Bellinger walks, it becomes more important than ever for Jed Hoyer to balance out his righty-heavy lineup with a strong lefty bat or two. Finding that bat on the market isn't easy. Juan Soto, the obvious candidate, is already a Yankee. The free agent market is also low on lefty pop beyond Bellinger.

There are still some solid, if less exciting, options to add some thump from the left side though. Let's look at three players the Cubs should prioritize if Bellinger goes off the board.

#1: Josh Naylor

The obvious pivot for the Cubs should be to turn to the Guardians to push for their current first baseman Josh Naylor. It's no secret that the Cubs have kicked the tires on a few of Cleveland's All-Stars, including Shane Bieber and Naylor throughout the offseason. The fit makes a ton of sense too - the Cubs still have a hole at first base and, without Bellinger, the need to find someone for the position only becomes greater.

Naylor also provides some much-needed pop. He hasn't quite tapped into that 70-grade raw power he possesses, but he took a major step forward with the Guardians last year, hitting .308/.354/.489 with 17 home runs and a 128 wRC+. The young slugger is also only 26 and seems to keep improving with every season, even posting his lowest strikeout percentage of his career last year at only 13.7%. On top of everything, underlying metrics tend to like Naylor as his expected batting average and slugging percentage ranked in the 95th and 80th percentile respectively despite lackluster average exit velocity, hard hit percentage, and barrel percentage marks.

The one knock against acquiring Naylor is the price tag. He's under control until 2026 and, considering he was Cleveland's best hitter last year even over Jose Ramirez, he won't come to the North Side without a significant trade package. Still, if the Cubs can find a way to pull it off without too much pain, he would make for an ideal consolation prize for losing Bellinger.

#2: Max Kepler

It seems likely that the Minnesota Twins are going to deal from their core of position players this offseason to replenish a pitching staff in dire straits. While we've already discussed the Cubs as a perfect destination for righty Jorge Polanco, there's also a strong fit with their lefty outfielder Max Kepler. Like Polanco, he's spent the entirety of his career so far with the Twins and has been a steady contributor throughout that time. His overall career slash line of .236/.319/.434 with a 101 wRC+ is solid enough, but he's capable of reaching greater heights too.

In 2023, however, Kepler showed off his best self, slashing a much better .260/.332/.484 with a strong 128 wRC+. Although he isn't particularly consistent from season to season, the results rarely seem to bottom out and, with only one year left on his deal, there would be relatively little risk in acquiring him. The underlying metrics were generally strong across the board last year, leading to his expected stats being slightly better than his already solid slash line.

Again, Kepler isn't without warts. The best fit for the Cubs, ideally, would be to have Kepler share time in center field with Pete Crow-Armstrong. However, he has always been better equipped to play right field and hasn't played up the middle in a consistent capacity since 2019. On top of everything, Kepler's splits are extreme with a career 113 wRC+ against righties and 77 wRC+ against lefties. Despite everything, there's still the possibility of using Kepler as a solid lefty bat who can be consistently worked into the lineup in ideal situations as either an outfielder or designated hitter.

#3: Brandon Belt

By no means is Brandon Belt a sexy option for the Cubs. He's heading into his age-36 season and there's little chance of him being a long-term option at first base anymore. However, as a stop-gap pick-up, there may be a surprising amount of value to be had in bringing the former San Francisco Giant All-Star on board for the bat alone.

Belt is enjoying an under-the-radar late-career renaissance. Since 2020, he's only had one season with a wRC+ below league average, albeit in somewhat limited playing time. Last season with the Blue Jays, Belt hit for a .254/.369/.490 slash line, 138 wRC+, and 19 home runs in 404 plate appearances. His expected stats were nowhere near as promising, but he still had an excellent 91st-percentile barrel rate, 96th-percentile chase rate, and 97th-percentile walk rate. He's also unlikely to cost much in free agency.

What gives some pause about Belt, however, is the strikeout rate. His 34.9% mark is by far the highest of his career. Like Kepler, he'd also be best utilized in a platoon role given his penchant for hitting righties (131 wRC+) far better than lefties (108 wRC+). For a low-cost upside play to improve on the margins, however, that still seems worthwhile given what he's done over the past few years. He can still hold down first base well enough too, posting 0.5 UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating) and 1 OAA (Outs Above Average) last year.

Again, losing Bellinger, after missing out on Soto and Shohei Ohtani, would make it hard for the Cubs to enter 2024 as a better team offensively. These bats on their own don't make up for that absence, but they can be a part of a greater overall plan to salvage another offseason without signing a top-of-the-market player.

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